“You are Intoxicated with Power”, Anna Hazare in Letter to Kejriwal
Social activist Anna Hazare has written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing him for getting “intoxicated with power” and forgetting the ideologies and values of the movement that created the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Anna Hazare’s letter comes amid the ongoing political slugfest over the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.
Anna Hazare wrote, "This is the first time I am writing to you after you became Chief Minister. The recent news about the Delhi government on the liquor scam is disheartening. I have been inspired by Gandhiji and his ideology. Based on this, I have dedicated my life to the people, society and the country. For the last 47 years, I have been working towards the upliftment of society and corruption."
“10 years ago on 18 September 2012, all the members of Team Anna had a meeting in Delhi. At that time, AAP had talked about adopting the political path. But you forgot that forming a political party was not the aim of our movement. At that time there was a belief in the public's mind about Team Anna,” the noted activist wrote.
"You had written the book titled 'Swaraj' where you wrote about ideals. There was a lot of hope from you then, but after going into politics and becoming the Chief Minister, you have forgotten the ideology. Just like alcohol intoxication, there is an intoxication of power also. It looks like you have drowned in the intoxication of power. (Aap Satta Ke Nashe Mein Doob Gaye Hain).”
Hazare also hit out against Delhi's new excise policy, which he said encouraged the sale and consumption of liquor.
The excise policy was passed in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
The Delhi government's version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing CBI probe into the policy, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's bank lockers were examined on Tuesday. His house was raided earlier. Sisodia, who handles Delhi government's excise portfolio among many others, is one of 15 accused named in the FIR filed by the CBI.