Arvind Kejriwal reminds babus of strike, rubs it in: We may be here for 10-15 years

“Janata badi khush hai aur isi tarah sarkar chalti rahe to dus-pandrah saal toh hum kahin nahi gaye. Abhi hain hum. Someone may like it or someone may not like it. Dus-pandrah saal toh hum log hain. Jin jin logon ki paintalis ke upar umar ho gayi hai, unke liye toh then koi chaara nahi hai. Toh phir hum hi hai. Apke paas koi chaara nahi hai (People are happy and if the government continues to function the way it is doing, we will be here for 10-15 years. Someone may like it or someone may not like it. For those officers above the age of 45, there is no choice),” he said.

The Chief Minister said this government was the perfect opportunity for bureaucrats to “fulfil their dreams”. “This is the time to fulfil those dreams. This government may be anything, but dishonest. This government is working for the poorest of the poor. There may be many with ideas and dreams, this is the time for you to do something. Last year, I asked all of you to give me ideas. I have not received a single one,” he said, adding that any officer with an idea would be given full support, finances and power to fulfil his or her dream.

Referring to the December 31 strike, when the government had planned a dry run for the odd-even scheme, Kejriwal said that bureaucrats did not even bother to talk to the government before going on strike. “The provocation was the suspension of two DANICS officers. Nobody approached the government and our party knows about strikes and protests. This is usually the last resort after all talks have failed. In this instance, there were no talks. The strike was political,” he said.

“We can tolerate anything but we will not tolerate politics. If you are interested in politics, then resign, contest elections and confront us,” he said.
Kejriwal also spoke of a letter written to him by a “very senior Delhi bureaucrat”. “This officer wrote that the permanent bureaucracy is the government, the minister is not the government. Bureaucracy is the government. I thought how will I explain this to my son who is studying about democracy being of the people, by the people and for the people,” he said.

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