Three reasons why Kejriwal is feeling more heat
The Kejriwal-Jung battle is driving full speed ahead to a constitutional crisis. And the Central government, instead of defusing it, is lending its weight to that effort.
The constitutional intricacies are no doubt fascinating but for the common citizen it doesn't matter: They don't know enough about the black letter of law. Nor do they care enough about the legal architecture of administration. They just want the government they voted into power to be allowed to work.
Right now, three things are clear:
First: No one buys the argument that three of the country's most respected legal brains and Constitution experts - Gopal Subramaniam, KK Venugopal and Rajeev Dhawan - have not interpreted the law correctly. You just have to attend a hearing at the Supreme Court to understand the high esteem in which they are held by the judges.
Second: There's a legal fog over privileges of union territories. But do people care? Did they vote for the lieutenant-governor? Was less money, time or energy spent on the Delhi elections? Would anyone have bothered to cast their vote if told that as a union territory their mandate would not turn into action?
Third: Confusion over why such a lot of fuss is being made over the IAS reshuffle in Delhi. Going by the headlines in the recent past (below), Prime Minister Modi as well various chief ministers have been doing pretty much what Kejriwal was doing.
Check out some headlines:
Centre
April 2015: Narendra Modi govt carries out another secretary-level reshuffle
February 2015: After sacking foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, the Modi government carries out another secretary-level bureaucratic reshuffle touching over seven ministries
November 2014: PM Modi effects major reshuffle in bureaucracy
October 2014: 20 new appointments, one-third at secretary level by Modi
September 2014: Modi govt shifts eight secretary-level and 48 JS-level officers, perceived to be close to UPA
August 2014: Big reshuffle, with new secretaries named for five ministries
July 2014: NDA government makes first move for a complete overhaul of the bureaucracy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi handpicks 'top ten' secretaries
June 2014: 20 senior-level personnel changes across ministries at the Centre
States
January 2015: Punjab government transferred 20 IAS, 21 PCS officers
January 2015: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle in Maharashtra 42 IAS officers transferred
January 2015: 72 IAS and KAS officers reshuffled by Jammu and Kashmir government
November 2014: Haryana government transferred 71 IAS officers
October 2014: The Bihar government transferred eight IAS officials and released two others for Central deputation
September 2014: Rajasthan government transferred 48 IAS officers
February 2014: Rajasthan government transferred 15 IAS officers in the state
February 2014: Gujarat government transferred 23 IAS officers ahead of LS polls
January 2014: 15 IAS officers transferred in Rajasthan
By the way, since the lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung took the reins of Delhi last year nearly 200 IAS as well as Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Islands Civil Services (DANICS) officers were reshuffled or transferred from one state to another.