AAP vs LG: Arvind Kejriwal banking on people's ignorance, says Kiran Bedi

During its brief stint since coming to power in February, the Aam Aadmi Party has been in the news for frequent controversies it has generated. The power tussle between the Arvind Kejriwal-led government and the Centre, Jitender Singh Tomar's fake degrees case, farmer Gajendra Singh's suicide at AAP's protest rally, and Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav's expulsion from the party are some examples of the AAP government scoring high on controversies and failing on governance.

In an interview with Biplob Ghosal of Zee Media Group, BJP’s Kiran Bedi discusses the performance of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi.

Ques: Jitender Singh Tomar has been arrested and sent to police custody in fake degrees case. The AAP government, which promises transparency, kept on backing Tomar despite the fact that the university termed his degrees as fake. Does this show duplicity of the AAP government?

Bedi: Regrettably, the diabolical or duplicity in their responses has been in more than one case. It's evident to all who are following the events day-to-day.

Ques: Is AAP justified in criticising the Delhi Police for arresting an elected representative?

Bedi: Not at all. Police has to do its duty under a microscope and it knows it.

Ques: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung are involved in a tussle over the appointment of secretaries and other bureaucrats. Do you think it is more of an ego issue for the AAP government or the LG is actually exceeding his brief?

Bedi: The AAP government knows that Delhi is a Union Territory. The AAP is keeping alibis alive for escape routes, but the knowledgeable understand this. While many others do not, Kejriwal is banking on people's ignorance.

Ques: Somewhere amid tussles and rows with the LG and the Centre, the AAP has failed to provide good governance to Delhi. Do you agree? How do you rate the AAP government's tenure?

Bedi: Totally negative so far. AAP's rule has been hurtful to the management of Delhi and the city is on the decline.

Ques: Why is the BJP now reluctant in granting full statehood to Delhi which it had itself promised in the past?

Bedi: I can only give you my personal opinion, which is, we cannot have a state within a state.