After toiling for almost a year after expulsion from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and spearheading non-political organisation Swaraj Abhiyan, Yogendra Yadav is getting back in the political arena as the president of Swaraj India party. He talks to Siddhanta Mishra about the new party, AAP, expansion plans and more.
Who is responsible for the vector-borne disease epidemic in Delhi?
It is shocking how everyone responsible for running the city has washed their hands of the responsibility. If the Supreme Court has to say that none of you are serious about the city, how bad can it get? The AAP, BJP and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung are equal culprits.
Do you think the Delhi government is trying to pass the buck to the L-G and the bureaucracy by saying that they are not cooperating with them?
As an outsider, I don’t see many instances of the L-G obstructing work. I do see a tension between the MCD and the Delhi government, and that is not new. But they are now renouncing principal responsibility which lies with the elected government. The CM tweets, “I don’t even have the authority to buy a pen”, then next week he orders 600 fumigation machines to be bought. So clearly he has authority which was not exercised in the past. Arvind Kejriwal and his team is playing politics irresponsibility. For AAP, citizens of Delhi are nothing but a stepping stone for Punjab and then Goa. Use and throw is the attitude of this government.
The state passed the order of not granting more liquor licences. What is your view on grant of liquor licences? Should we go for the Bihar model?
It is because of our agitation that this decision was taken. The government claimed on the floor of the House that only six new liquor licences were granted but we got information of 399 new licences. Once the truth came to the fore, they said that no more licences will be issued. But what about the existing ones? They said they won’t issue licences for a year, because it coincides with the Punjab and Goa elections. So the government is saying that once the campaign is over, they will go back to what they were doing. They were promoting liquor as if it was milk.
I don’t think one-stroke prohibition is a sensible policy. Total prohibition model is extreme and unworkable. It brings some relief but has the disadvantage of encouraging bootlegging and smuggling. Kerala model is a more sensible. All we are saying is, if you open new shops in residential areas, consult the people, as you had promised in your elections manifesto.
What will be your focus in Delhi?
Swaraj India is not a regional party. In fact, one of our motto is to have a federal party. We have set the elementary norm to move away from Dilli durbar. We just have a lot of membership in the city and that the local elections are approaching. So, obviously there is some scope for an intervention.
What is your plan for civic body polls? Are you going to field any candidates?
MCD polls are expected to be held in March-April next year. We have not taken a decision yet but it’s under active consideration.
What about entering student politics?
We have not formed a student wing yet, but we hope to as the youth are a critical constituency of any country. For a party that is looking at the future of providing a new model, youth would be the most obvious constituency.
You earlier said that it would be hard to convince people about alternative politics after the bad experience with AAP. Why has it come to this?
There is a general sense of cynicism about politics for quite some time. With the coming of AAP it seemed that the cynicism was broken, or relaxed for a moment. Unfortunately, the manner in which the AAP leadership belied the hopes of people, it just strengthened that attitude that was there to begin with. Therefore, we have to encounter this hard cynicism.
What motivated you to start a political party?
No political party has a vision and policy for the next 50 years. There is a vacuum in the political establishment as there is no commitment to the democracy. It was that vacuum that prompted us to start a new political party.
What does Delhi need?
Being the national capital, Delhi needs cleanliness, better education and health facilities.
Any plans of expansion with UP and Punjab elections approaching?
Swaraj India will begin with at least eight states.