Delhi debate: Is Arvind Kejriwal looking to do an Anil Kapoor?

New Delhi, Oct 24: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader

has sent a formal invitation to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for an open public debate. This move reminds one about Bollywood movie

where a brave journalist took on the chief minister of the state during an interview and became the CM for one day to author a remarkable turnaround in events. In the reel story it was

who played the role of the protagonist while in the real life, it is Arvind Kejriwal. Also, it is Delhi which replaces Maharashtra as the venue for the drama.

The call for a debate is undoubtedly a good thing in a democracy. But does a debate help in our democratic set-up? We see several debates on various platforms everyday but most of them turn out to be high-decibel blame games. Is there any guarantee that the much talked-about Kejriwal-Dikshit debate in a public ground will not be different?

Is Kejriwal overburdening himself & his party with high expectations?

Kejriwal, one suspects, is trying to revive the essence of direct democracy by calling for a public debate but will idea be successful today? The socio-political complex today doesn't allow an easy space to the opposition, no matter how much competitive it is, and real AK, who is still in the honeymoon period of his political career, perhaps will learn it the way the reel AK did.

Kejriwal, one believes, is also overburdening himself and his party with a high expectation by attacking every non-AAP forces as corrupt. He has succeeded in doing this because his party so far has no baggage of history. But in case he becomes the chief minister of Delhi, the same weapon with which he has been attacking others will begin to boomerang.

Anil Kapoor paid the price by becoming the reel chief minister for one day. The other AK must be prepared for a far tougher battle if he becomes the real CM.

OneIndia News