Letter to BS: No love lost between Arvind Kejriwal and the bureaucracy

This refers to “Two slap precedent”. There is no love lost between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (pictured) and the bureaucracy. Ever since Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came into power in 2015, the tussle between AAP and the bureaucracy has only been growing. First, it was LG Najeeb Jung, then present LG Anil Baijal and now with the Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. It is highly unfortunate that one of the AAP party MLA physically assaulted Prakash during the meeting over discrepancies in the public distribution system. Such behaviour from both sides is unwarranted and undesirable if only to aloow administration function smoothly.

Both sides can reconcile the matter amicably by sitting across the table and if needed Kejriwal can tender an apology to Prakash to end the crisis. Whatever good intentions Kejriwal and his party may have to improve the lives of Delhi-ites, such incidents only give a negative message to the masses. Kejriwal came to power with much fanfare but it looks like a golden opportunity lost for him. Differences between politicians and bureaucrats are normal but no one should stoop so low as to get physical. For any state to function smoothly, administration and law makers have to be in sync, but sadly that’s not the case here in the national capital. Bal Govind Noida