Anna Hazare Blames AAP’s Defeat on Liquor Policy

Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazare, who was the face of the 2011 anti-corruption movement, on Saturday said that Aam Aadmi Party lost Delhi elections because Arvind Kejriwal and his associates took the wrong path and money became their priority. He said the AAP “drowned” by its controversial liquor policy.

Mr. Kejriwal founded AAP in 2012 soon after the massive success of the anti-corruption protests held in Delhi. However, Mr. Hazare was against the idea of floating a political organisation from the beginning. The veteran social activist said that he had even warned Mr. Kejriwal regarding his government’s liquor policy, but his warnings went unheeded.

In a letter written to Mr. Kejriwal in 2022, Mr.Hazare said that he was pained by the reports about Delhi government’s liquor policy. “Like liquor, power too intoxicates. You are intoxicated by power, it seems,” he had said in the letter.

Commenting on AAP’s defeat, Mr. Hazare said, “I have always said that a man’s conduct and thoughts should be pure. His life should be without a blemish and he must be ready to make sacrifices for the society. I told this to Arvind Kejriwal, but he did not pay heed. He focused on liquor… He was overwhelmed by money power.”

The Delhi government led by Mr. Kejriwal implemented the new liquor policy in November 2021, but scrapped it in September 2022 amid corruption allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have alleged irregularities in the policy, claiming the AAP government granted undue favours to liquor licence holders.

“They (AAP) lost because they forgot the importance of selfless public service and took the wrong path. Money became their priority, which damaged their image and led to their defeat. They lost because they forgot the importance of selfless public service and took the wrong path. Money became their priority, which damaged their image and led to their defeat,” Mr. Hazare added.

However, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that BJP won the Delhi election by implementing the “Maharashtra pattern”. He alleged that it has become BJP’s formula to first finish a leader who dares to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.

“The BJP seems to have replicated its Maharashtra pattern in the Delhi Assembly elections. From subjecting AAP leader Kejriwal to harassment through Central agencies, getting prominent AAP leaders arrested and imprisoned and adding bogus voters in the electoral rolls, they have done everything that they did in Maharashtra. Money was distributed in Delhi elections till the polling day. I personally saw tables set up to distribute money. Amit Shah had instructed the police not to entertain any complaints regarding it,” Mr.Raut said.

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar credited the leadership of Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah for the Delhi victory. “The BJP is on a victory spree. After the success in Haryana and Maharashtra, we have made it in Delhi. And this clearly is an indication that people have trust in the party and its leadership in Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. We will win Bihar Assembly polls too,” he said.