Coalition Dharma or Self-Preservation? Delhi Tragedy Exposes Chinks in INDIA Bloc Armour
Security personnel stand guard near a UPSC exam coaching centre after three civil services aspirants died when the basement of the coaching centre was flooded by rainwater in New Delhi. (PTI)
The reluctance of the Congress top brass to attack AAP puts not just its Delhi leaders in a spot but also helps the BJP attack Rahul Gandhi and the Grand Old Party for preferring to save the alliance
The Congress has chosen coalition dharma over pinning accountability on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Delhi government for the tragedy in the national capital in which three IAS aspirants drowned in the flooded basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle.
The day the news broke, many Congress leaders — especially those who belonged to Delhi — were quick to condemn the incident and blame the AAP and Delhi government. Some asked for immediate resignation of minister Atishi and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The dilemma for the top brass was apparent in the careful statements of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader KC Venugopal as both expressed pain over the tragedy and said those accountable must be punished.
Kharge said Congress had made Delhi an “international city”. “Today, the capital of India is suffering from indifference. Accidents keep happening every day,” he said. While Kharge did not mention AAP by name, the insinuation was unmistakable. Others, meanwhile, preferred to remain reticent.
The dichotomy became even more apparent when Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Amar Singh gave adjournment notices in Parliament to fix accountability for the Delhi tragedy and failure of infrastructure. However, sources say they would prefer to attack the Lieutenant Governor and Centre as, according to Tagore, “AAP may win MCD elections but is controlled by the LG”.
Sources say the decision to not attack AAP but keep the focus on the BJP and L-G was taken at the top. Rahul Gandhi and his advisors felt that it is important to show the mirror to the BJP and L-G and not the AAP which is “not allowed to work freely”.
The problem is beyond this tragedy. Elections in Delhi will be held early next year and, despite being allies, AAP and the Grand Old Party are contenders in the national capital. The reluctance of the Congress to attack AAP puts not just its Delhi leaders in a spot but also helps the BJP attack Rahul Gandhi and the Grand Old Party for preferring to save the alliance than stand up for the students.
Unlike Congress, in Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had decided that it was important for her to stand up for her people and TMC rather than follow coalition dharma. The move worked for her in the Lok Sabha elections.
For the Congress, it’s now a choice between its own identity and coalition dharma.
