Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has a knack for creating controversies. His recent speech in Goa is a case in point. He advised the voters to accept whatever money was offered to them by parties like the BJP and the Congress and vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. Naturally enough, the Election Commission took a dim view of his objectionable stance and ticked him off. It was the second time that he had earned the displeasure of the EC. He probably does not know that the commission has powers to derecognise a party which is habitually violating the norms that govern the conduct of political parties and their leaders.
Instead of making amends for the blunder, Kejriwal, in a letter to the EC, made the claim that he was trying to make the elections cleaner. It was tantamount to asserting that he was the brand ambassador of the commission. He should have realised that by exhorting people to accept bribes, he was casting a shadow over the election process.
True, money plays a role in elections but nobody can win an election solely on the basis of his money power. Even powerful leaders like Indira Gandhi were humbled in elections. As a leader, what he should have advised the people was to not only not accept any bribes but also complain to the authorities about such malpractices.
It is immaterial which party or leader won as long as the campaign was fair and the voters could exercise their franchise in a fair and free manner. It is the duty of all parties, including the AAP, to ensure that the electoral atmosphere is not vitiated.
The EC does not require brand ambassadors like Kejriwal whose only aim is to win the elections. The BJP is not wide of the mark when it describes the AAP leader as the chief justice among political leaders. If Kejriwal is bent upon behaving in an irresponsible manner, the EC should not refrain from using its whip.