(MENAFN- Arab News) Whether you like it or not Mahesh Sharma is the Culture Minister for Delhi even if has an advanced case of foot in the mouth disease. In the great cosmic sense which house he is allotted by his government is really no one's business except the government to which he belongs. After the rather infantile comments he made about President Kalam one could say that it is a bit tactless to have moved him into the house where the former president's family was staying and now are in the process of vacating. By the same token it could have been a clever move to make him inherit (albeit temporarily) the house from the family whose patriarch he so clumsily commented upon. The move has forced him to extol President Kalam's virtues and atone for his gaffe.
But that said it is not really an issue. Anyone knowing the former president and his strict following of the rule book would agree that Mr. Kalam would not have cared less who took over this house after his family left. For one it wasn't the president's house it is government property. For another last October the Cabinet had passed an order saying none of these residences would be turned into shrines or memorials so bringing up this issue and soaking it in sticky sentiment is unnecessary. As far as poetic justice goes it is exquisite.
It is also not for the AAP to waste energy on exercises where it has no legal fiat. This area belongs to the NDMC and is outside the purview of the Delhi government. Why get into arguments over such matters when there is real work to be done. Also if making statements that are in the realm of the absurd was the yardstick for allotting ministerial accommodation then quite a few of them would join the ranks of the homeless.
Mr. Kalam would have scoffed the idea of a museum. But he would have endorsed any initiative bed-rocked in education more so if it was targeting the weaker sections of society. If we truly want to show our respect for this very exceptional president let's do that find a decent cause but stop using his name in a petty political squabble.
Sometimes one gets the feeling that the AAP gets up in the morning with a single point agenda: How do we attack Modi today.
It is truly getting a bit boring. What happens then is that trivial issues are blown into major conflagrations and even the arguable demands like handing over the police command are sidetracked.
There are some grounds being made that Sharma does not qualify for this one in six double story accommodation on Rajaji Marg because he is a junior minister. That is still not a problem which should concern Mr. Kejriwal and his party. Nor should it matter that Edward Lutyens himself stayed here. It is just a nice bungalow with no great history merely bricks and mortar. If not Sharma then some other person bringing with him or her a fresh controversy.
One is also hard-placed to understand why the sentiments of millions of people should be hurt if an official bungalow is given in accordance with the rules and not out of line. Sharma is the only minister waiting for a house.
Why would anyone want to see this hand me down place as a Kalam tribute? The former president's possessions are going home to Rameswaram which is what he would have wanted.
While everyone would be very relieved if the AAP-led Delhi Government and the BJP Center stopped this daily conflict and hugged and kissed and made up along with ending the hostility toward Lt. Governor Jung it seems unlikely to happen.
All we get is this regular feed of three feuding elements and a deteriorating capital city.
With dengue crime smog pollution traffic congestion a host of respiratory ailments there are enough problems on the AAP plate to leave well enough alone and not worry itself about the Center's allocation of houses.