The rise and fall of born-again messiahs Imran Khan and Arvind Kejriwal have a lot in common

Islamabad is reeling from the shock of recent incidents of violence perpetrated by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Their march towards Pakistan's capital resulted in the deaths of security personnel as well as protesters. Peace appears to have been restored, but tensions are certain to remain high given the bitter political scenario in Pakistan.

Pakistan's coalition government has its work cut out for it in terms of maintaining some semblance of authority as well as credibility given the fragmented election results, which gave the PTI the largest number of seats.

On the east side of the Radcliffe Line lies another bruised crusader against corruption, recently released from several months in prison and silently licking his wounds. Arvind Kejriwal vowed to bring a new politics to India, ending the duopoly of the two major parties. Over successive elections, the Aam Aadmi Party wooed Delhi voters with carefully calculated giveaways and populism that cut across class, caste and creed in the national capital. The formula seemed unbeatable, and reaching for the stars seemed within reach, with nationwide appeals. It was all for naught once the stench of alcohol policy became apparent.

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Although they come from very different backgrounds, academic achievements, athletic abilities and simple physical attractiveness, there is much in common in the spectacular political rise and then fall of Imran Khan and by Arvind Kejriwal. The messiahs sent to clean up the political system ended up being incarcerated for corruption and in no way can this be simply called a political vendetta.

The level and method of corruption differed only in sophistication, which well reflects the intellectual acumen of the two crusaders. Imran Khan has long been ridiculed for his insufficient ability to carry on intelligent conversations.

In the age of political correctness, this is as accurate an analysis as possible. And this is hardly a comment on Arvind Kejriwal's intellect and insight, not just because he attended IIT and had a career in civil service that would be the envy of most. His political astuteness was largely on display when he systematically dumped his mentors and those who saw themselves as the guides and gurus of a hapless official seeking to clean up the system. After all, he was a product of the system and part of it.

Imran Khan, on the other hand, appeared as an outsider seeking to right the wrongs committed by political parties against the hapless people of Pakistan. Pakistan's first cricket superstar, with looks to match and a privileged lifestyle, which offered all the perks that came with it, seemed the perfect fit. Except that politics is a deadly sport where victory is essential, and where all methods are needed to win. He clearly lacked the means, intellectual and otherwise, until he hitched his horses to the military rails. The rest, as they say, is a fairy tale.

Except that fairy tales are fiction, softened by an imagination that seeks comfort in the face of everyday life and the courage of life. Well, the courage of political life reached Imran Khan quite early in his Prime Ministerial dreams. He believed that his government had the mandate to rule Pakistan in its entirety, without worrying about the space and privileges that political parties had to share with the biggest player of all, the Pakistan Army.

Also read: Imran Khan wants to break Islamabad's political deadlock with corpses

Commercialized victimization

Imran Khan actually believed that he had outgrown his mentors, the military establishment, and began to spread his wings and bask in the sunshine of fame and fortune. Except that fortunes in South Asia are difficult to obtain, legitimately and at the end of a five-year elected mandate. Imran Khan, however, tried it and it turned out to be a success. Arvind Kejriwal, the much more skillful and intelligent campaigner against corruption, tried it and almost succeeded. But the complacent corruption of the UPA II era had made the Indian bureaucracy a supporter of Kejriwal and his campaign to rid the country of dishonest politicians. They turned on him once he dipped his fingers.

Even as the systems that created them have turned against both, these born-again messiahs have suddenly embraced pop religion and victimhood conspiracies. While it was Sufi lingo for Imran Khan, it was schoolboy Hanuman Chalisa for Arvind Kejriwal. All this faith is based on adequately marketed victim conspiracies. Of course, none of this matters in the courts, but there are enough gullible people who can take to the streets for the sake of the Messiah. Imran Khan's supporters have proven it twice now, let's hope the same thing doesn't happen in Delhi when the chickens come home to roost.

Manvendra Singh is a BJP leader, editor of Defense & Security Alert and chairman of the Rajasthan Soldiers' Welfare Advisory Committee. He tweets @ManvendraJasol. Opinions are personal.

(Edited by Theres Sudeep)

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