Last week the AAP, the ruling party of Delhi for the past 10 years celebrated its foundation day. On the same day the largest news agency of the country released an interesting feature saying, “The Delhi Model: Penguin India Announces Jasmine Shah’s book.” This news was repeated verbatim with big displays in many newspapers (not this newspaper).
This was something interesting, as discussions on new books are largely limited to the ‘Books Pages’ of the newspaper, where the critics give their opinion on a book. Or in the event of a book soon coming to the stands, some of its stimulating information is selectively released to create interest in its content and the right atmospheric for the release. This news feature by the agency, however, cannot get covered under any of the two abovementioned categories.
Its tone and tenor clearly said that the book proposed to promote the AAP and its time in power in Delhi for the upcoming assembly polls. The agency feature said, The Delhi Model: A Bold New Road Map to Building a Developed India, delves into the governance model that has redefined public administration in Delhi and influenced policy discussions nationwide.”
One can say that its actually very brave of a reputed publisher like the Penguin to agree to publish publicity content provided by a top party functionary and also promote it as a piece of research. Especially in face of the fact that the general public narrative is how the AAP government has failed Delhi on the various fronts of governance.
For the records, the author is a former vice chairperson of Delhi’s Dialogue and Development Commission, who had to quit office after his appointment was found to be sans the saction of law, like those of many other functionaries of AAP who were made part of government and used official machinery, perks and pay packets.
Incidentally, the day this news item was carried by some newspaper, there was another news item which held a mirror to the state of governance in the national capital. The news item was headlined, “How can a flyover less than 10 years old tumble down, must probe ‘scam’: HC”. The news had interesting details on the corruption practised during the regime of the AAP government.
The report said that a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela pointed out that despite the structure (flyover) near Nathu Colony area developing cracks in 2018, no internal inquiry had taken place. “Who are the people involved in this scam? How can you have such a weak structure? This is not even 10 years old. Can a flyover for which you would have spent crores come tumbling down? All flyovers constructed in the 1980s are still functional today. And your construction in 2015 is in shambles. It doesn’t take a magician to understand why it is tumbling; you have to conduct an investigation,” the court told the counsel for Delhi government.
The High Court in no uncertain terms said that somebody was trying to ‘push corruption under the carpet’. On the plea made by Delhi government counsel of height barriers having been installed to avoid heavy traffic on the flyover toavoidmishap, the High Court bench said, “Your solution is: don’t allow heavy traffic. Was this flyover meant for bicycles and two-wheelers? It is supposed to take care of traffic management, which means heavy vehicles, but you have reduced it to bicycles and light vehicles.”
The aforementioned High Court observation is just another case to drive home the point that administration in Delhi for the past 10 years has been replete with corruption and malgovernance. The focus of the government has been on publicity and not delivery.
The party’s top ministers, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal,his deputy Manish Sisodia and senior ministerial colleague Satyender Jain have been charged of being involved in corruption. They have also been made to cool heels in jail. It would be interesting to read what Jasmine Shah has to show to justify his claims of AAP’s Delhi model worth emulation across the country.
Sidharth Mishra
Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice