Just Another List of Questions - Open letter to Mr. Kejriwal

Dear Mr. Kejriwal,

Since you have a penchant for asking questions through a list, here are a few that I would like to get answers for. Before you dismiss it or trash my letter, let me also remind you that I am one of the many 'common man' who had voted and campaigned for you in Delhi Assembly elections. Your actions of late have left a lot to be desired. I don't know where you seek your feedback from these days but as a well wisher let me tell you that your current coterie that gives you a positive feedback about your methods may prove to be your greatest undoing.

1. You said that corruption was the biggest problem that plagued the nation. i was convinced about the same. However, you chose to change your stance in a meeting some days back and said that it was communalism and not corruption that was the biggest problem. This leaves me confused. On what basis did you change your stance? Was it the crowd that you wanted to appease or was it the tougher competition in the form of Modi who would otherwise have been difficult to pin down with corruption talks?

2. If communalism is indeed the biggest problem, tell me a single point in your manifesto for Delhi elections where you had addressed it? I didn't find a mention of anything remotely related to communalism in the 18 points for which you sought support from other political parties supporting you in the Vidhan Sabha.  

3. Janlokpal, as proposed by you, will not get passed in the Vidhan Sabha even if you have 70 MLAs as it needs the Centre's approval. Will you resign again if I vote you in Delhi assembly elections?

4. Before coming to power you had talked about 50% reduction in my electricity bills and free water supply. I also knew that you were dead opposed to Ambani's way of working. Hence, I did not suspect that there could be riders to your freebie marked with a "conditions apply". Why shouldn't I feel cheated by the treatment meted out to me? You had also said during your campaign that the water meters could be manipulated. How do I believe that the faulty meter gives a correct calculation of 667l of water?

5. You are against paid opinion polls. There was a survey conducted by your party member, the well known psephologist Mr. Yogendra Yadav. We took it seriously as it came from someone as popular and learned as him. He predicted 47 out of 70 seats. The results however were not as forthcoming. Would you also club Dr. Yadav's poll survey with the other paid poll surveys and trash it? Will he do another one for you prior to the Lok Sabha elections 2014?

6. You failed to sight 'opportunists' like Binny and Tina Sharma. Isn't there a bright chance that there will be some more moles in your lists for Lok Sabha elections? Can you vouch for each of your candidates? We need a clarification because a lot of your candidates don't have a political background that we can dig into to find their previous leanings. We have suffered immensely at the hands of unscrupulous leaders and had pinned hopes on you because of your credentials. But we had a sense of deja vu with some of your MLAs like Binny (who looked opportunist), Rakhi (who made a mountain out of a mole hill when a ball hit her car) and Somnath Bharti (whose language was unbecoming of an elected representative and a minister).  

7. After the Binny incident just after your decision to form Government, you said that all was well and Binny had not asked for a post. But later when he quit your party, you did a U-turn and said that Binny had asked for a post. I take your point that Binny was an opportunist but did you too lie the first time around? You have always talked about truth and transparency in politics. Was it political compulsion that forced you to say so earlier or was it just the inexperience at play?

8. This question is not a direct one but related. I have seen Somnath Bharti, my MLA once when he came to campaign. I went up to him, shook his hands and confirmed my support without knowing him personally. I was risking my good personal relation with my close neighbour who is a functionary with BJP. But it was okay, as personal relations shouldn't actually matter when you choose a Government for a larger cause. It's been 3 months now. Mr. Somnath has never come to my area. Since I have not seen him, can you let me know on his behalf if he was elected MLA for Malviya Nagar or only for Khirki extension? Or, did he visit us as a batman at 3 in the night on a cold winter night and I failed to sight him? 

9. Did your office really request for the two 5-room duplex flats or was it just a fake letter they showed on TV? Did you actually live in a 4 bedroom house in Kaushambi? That's pretty huge for a 6 member family living like a common man. 

10. What was the date on which you received the letter from an African commission where they thanked you profusely? You gave us a glimpse of it but didn't let the camera zoom on it like you did to highlight the Adani aircraft in the background of a picture of Modi.

11. On your recent visit to Gujarat, I heard you giving a first hand account of the Modi rule in Gujarat. Your overall experience was negative. You said that people in the state were terrified and felt that the opposition didn't exist in Gujarat. Modi either bought them, scared them or got them killed. It is hard to believe. Modi got 120 seats in the 182 member Vidhan Sabha. That is a whopping 66 percent seats. It couldn't have been possible unless a lot of people had faith in him. How come you didn't find anyone saying good things about him? Also, if the majority voice was negative (or opposition), going by your understanding that Modi scuttled the negative voices, these people should have already been bought, scared or dead! I hope you do remember that you got 28 seats out of 70 (accounting for 40 percent seats) and still believed that you were leading a majority Government. Please show some respect for the mandate given to a democratically elected Government (3 times over) before casting aspersions on it. You would also agree that a one day visit cannot give anyone a comprehensive picture, can it? I am afraid your Gujarat report looks fudged. Or, did you conduct your survey inside Congress or AAP offices in Gujarat? 

12.  Did you or the India Today group pay for your private flight from Ahmedabad to Jaipur? If you paid it, you are at par with the rich men of India and can no more be called an AAM aadmi. If you didn't, why did you accept such a favor from a media house? If Modi using Adani's flight is wrong, why is your private jet flight not wrong?

13. What is your opinion on Kiran Bedi and Anna Hazare? Do you regard them honest, upright and devoted to the cause of fighting corruption?

There are a few other questions too but I would not ask questions purely based on rumors floating around or just for the heck of it. Mr. Kejriwal, you were my hero till a few months back but now no more. If you care, introspect why things have suddenly changed. Why did you develop this self confessed intellectual disconnect with people who were earlier your supporters? You were right when you said that these people probably still feel emotionally for you. But being emotional is not being a fool. Just like being non-corrupt is not only about not accepting money directly from someone. 

Stop asking questions before doing anything concrete on the ground level. If you feel great just by filing an FIR against Sheila Dixit or denouncing the CM's post, think again. By running away from the power and position where you could have brought about significant changes in the lives of many, you have not helped your cause. You betrayed the trust of people who enthusiastically came out to support you. You were our leader. Don't go down the spiral so soon. If you feel that all of it is simply a campaign to malign you and discredit the good work (of creating political awareness among the youth) done by you, take it from me - no one has ever cared to buy me out even with a 10 rupee note!

Hope better sense prevails upon you. 

Best,

Aam aadmi with no affiliation to AAP!