| 'BJP cannot justify violence' | |
| Q&A: Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party President | | Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi June 28, 2009, 0:12 IST | |
 Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh discusses with ADITI PHADNIS the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and the road ahead.
The BJP lost the Lok Sabha elections. Why do you think this happened? Was it because of the projection of the wrong person as prime minister, personal criticism of Manmohan Singh or an overall failure of state governments run by the BJP?
The result was unexpected, we have to admit that. In terms of our performance in the states, in some we have fared well, in others we have performed badly. But I don’t agree with the point that projection of prime ministerial candidate cost us votes. If that had been the case, we should have lost seats in Jharkhand, Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka. So there were other reasons for our defeat.
What did we say during the campaign that was offensive? The government was weak. This is what we said. It was not a personal attack but a political one. Speaking for myself, I have never attacked anyone personally. In politics and social life, personal criticism should be avoided. I don’t believe in being vindictive. If criticism is too vindictive, it is unseemly.
Besides, the BJP is in the opposition and so it is natural for it to comment on the working of the government. But I also believe that the Opposition should be constructive.
We are undertaking a constituency-wise review of the results. Teams are going to all the states. This will be followed by a chintan baithak (brainstorming meeting) where the election results will be discussed and an action plan chalked out.
Does being a constructive opposition mean helping the government take its legislative agenda forward?
What is consistent with our party’s policy and philosophy, we will endorse.
Do you think you anointed a prime ministerial candidate too early?
For the entire party, Advaniji was the natural choice for prime ministership.
Although he had to step down as party president at least once because of outrage in the party.
No, that doesn’t matter
And now that the party has been routed...
I don’t think the party’s been routed. In 1998, the Congress had 114 seats. We have 116. We are the main opposition party. India is moving towards bipolar politics. We are playing our part. The Congress’ way of dealing with defeat was a vertical split. In our party, there has been no such split.
Really? You could have fooled us. Every third person in the BJP’s top leadership is attacking everyone else. True, no one has left the BJP, but nothing has been left unsaid either
Whatever has been said, we are considering and reviewing. Everyone has the right to write letters. But when these letters are leaked, we will be forced to take action.
So what action have you taken? It is clear that Yashwant Sinha’s letter reached television channels before it reached you. Are you going to suspend him for anti-party activity?
He has already been punished. His resignation has been accepted. He said he did not leak the letter. We are not able to find out who leaked it. Sinha said he did not leak the letter.
Why did this debate arise in the party even as the campaign was going on that Narendra Modi would be a great prime minister?
In our party, it is not individuals who decide who the prime minister should be but the Parliamentary Board.
The suggestion didn’t really help the party
But it didn’t harm the party either. And Modiji contradicted it himself. Some statement from somebody... how does it matter? Everyone knows that even the (party) president can’t decide on this. It is the Parliamentary Board that has to decide.
The Samajwadi Party did not put up a candidate against you in Ghaziabad . What is the secret behind this?
It is not that they did not put up a candidate against me. They decided to support the Congress. There were just three constituencies where they decided not to put up candidates: Amethi, Rae Bareli and Ghaziabad. In the first two, it was to ensure Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s win. In my case, it was to ensure I was defeated. Mulayam Singh Yadav campaigned for the Congress. The flags of the SP and the Congress fluttered alongside each other.
The constituency has 400,000 Muslims. It has 2.5 lakh Jatavs. The Bahujan Samaj Party put up a Brahmin candidate. The Congress put up a Vaishya candidate. But even so, I won with a respectably large margin.
What are you going to do about the party in UP?
We will have to strengthen the organisation. We had 10 seats earlier, we continue to have 10.
Does the party’s performance mean you deviated from Hindutva and must return to it?
People are unable to understand what Hindutva is. Please don’t go by what the BJP says on Hindutva, read what the Supreme Court says about it. The judgment says Hindutva is not about a religion or a sect but a way of life in itself. It is an inclusive ideological concept where everybody has a place, whatever caste or religion he belongs to. The judgment says Hindutva is generous, tolerant and eternal. It is not a non-secular concept. Even the Supreme Court has not found it communal. There must be a debate about it and I invite all those who read this interview to take a look at the judgment and revert to me with their understanding of Hindutva.
How does the generosity of Hindutva sit with the kind of offensive statements made by Varun Gandhi and the statements other party leaders are prone to make, including Narendra Modi?
The Varun Gandhi matter is in court. Nobody can justify that kind of statement, but he has said it was not his voice. So he is not justifying it either. The BJP cannot justify violence.
Are you planning a conclave of chief ministers?
Nothing is on the cards yet.
|
Content Guide
|