Bunga-low: The new ‘low’ of Indian politics

In the newest episode, Directorate of Estates (DoE) allotted the bungalow at 6 Krishna Menon Marg in Lutyens Delhi to the Lok Sabha Speaker and daughter of former deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram who was also the last official resident in the property. The lease has been extended for at least another 25 years and the official website of the DoE confirms the reports. And with the news spreading like wildfire, Twitter has been abuzz with mixed reactions. While Arvind Kejriwal, the soon to be sworn next Chief Minister of Delhi outrightly rejects the need of detailed security paraphernalia and palatial bungalow, our honorable Madam Speaker is being conferred with something that only provokes more questions than answers. With Arvind Kejriwal led style of politics, which yearns to end long bred forcible factionalism in society in form of Haves and Have-nots, set to rule the roost, at least in Delhi, the Haves of India must quickly embark on learning the newly written literature by the Have-nots.

This above ‘expose’ comes at a time when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bulldozed into power (although forming a minority government) in Delhi, desiccating Goliaths of Indian political scenario, which till date remained unquestioned by the masses.

Sensing discontent brewing on the social networking sites, the DoE pitched in with an explanation that the bungalow has been designated to an institution (Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation) set up in 2008 by the lady speaker in the name of her late father. For them, this is only a goodwill gesture more than anything else. But, can we afford such gestures when the entire nation is asking for more probity and austerity in the political ecosystem?

However, the real catch remains embedded somewhere else. As per the Times of India news report, ‘Meira to keep dad’s bungalow till 2038,’ Meira Kumar stayed in the bungalow while she was serving as a minister in the UPA I government till the year 2009. In the second successive term of the UPA, she was elevated to the post of Speaker of the lower house of the Parliament, and then moved to the Speaker’s residence at 20 Akbar Road. But, Madam Kumar didn’t evacuate the bungalow situated at the Krishna Menon Marg even when she was not officially entitled to hold on the property as per the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which looks after the maintenance of government property.

More interestingly, between the year 2009 and 2013, DoE claims there were no applicants for the bungalow, but records obtained by S C Agrawal, a well known RTI activist articulate a different story. As per them, the bungalow was handed over to her by the department along with a rent bill of Rs 1.98 crore. The newspaper also reports that the present UPA government did away with the bill claiming it was insignificant, only sent to the receiver under pressure as a response to the RTI petition.

Nevertheless, this case is not the only one of its kind where the DoE, which works under supervision of Ministry of Urban Development, has showered benefits of dubious nature to any politician. In the past many leaders including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati were reported to be a party of the similar kind of alleged wrongdoings.

Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was allotted four bungalows in her name by the CPWD earlier this year, which is a big riddle in itself. However, at present, she only has one in her name and rest three are merged as single unit under the name of her trust Bahujan Samaj Prerna Trust. Various media houses reported this lapse at that time as well but to no avail.

Kejriwal led AAP may or may not be able to fulfill most of the populist promises made by it in its election manifesto but it will indisputably redefine the way politics runs in the country.