HVK Archives: 'No one challenges our secular credentials any more'
'No one challenges our secular credentials any more' - The Times of India
Janak Singh
()
January 7, 1998
Title: 'No one challenges our secular credentials any more'
Author: Janak Singh
Publication: The Times of India
Date: January 7, 1998
Will Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Behari Vajpayee form the
government after the elections? The various opinion polls
conducted so far seem to indicate the Vajpayee-led BJP's victory
in the polls. Whether it gets a simple majority of 274 Lok Sabha
seats on its own or cobbles up this magic number along with its
electoral allies, the BJP seems set to be a major player after
the elections.
Replying to questions in the sparsely furnished study in his
modest bungalow on 7, Safdarjung Road, which incidentally is but
a stone's throw from 7, Race Course Road, the Prime Ministerial
residence he may be destined to shift to after the polls, the BJP
leader seemed to weigh each word he uttered. Excerpts from an
interview by Janak Singh:
Q: What do you think will he the issues in this election? Will
Bofors be a issue, now that Sonia Gandhi is to campaign for the
Congress?
A: Stability will be the main issue. But we shall also dwell on
the need for good government, the worsening problems of the
people, tardy economic progress, the alarming level of poverty,
neglect of social sectors, namely, health and education,
inadequacy of infrastructure, and the government's failure to
deal with corruption.
Even after 50 years of Independence, drinking water has not been
provided in villages all over the country. Infant mortality has
come down, but it still remains alarmingly high. Women continue
to suffer oppression although the Constitution accords them equal
status in all walks of life. Deterioration of the road network,
inadequacy of power, absence of airports all are holding up the
economic progress of the country.
With Mrs Sonia Gandhi campaigning for the Congress, the Bofors
debate will become more lively. The Bofors issue will be raised
not because of her: it is already there. Until the recipients of
kickbacks are fully exposed the story will never die down. So far
as the question of mandir vs. mosque is concerned, it will be a
part of our manifesto. That there was a temple at the disputed
Babri Masjid site is now being accepted by one and all. Even the
Imam of Qaba had said that a temple should be allowed to be built
at the site. So far as the question of rebuilding the mosque is
concerned, we shall consult all parties and communities to arrive
at a mutually acceptable solution.
But in every election, usually one big issue becomes the main
focus of controversy and debate. After the Emergency, it was the
excesses committed by Mrs Gandhi's government. In the last
election, it was corruption. Corruption is still a major issue.
It is mainly responsible for hindering progress. Let's us see how
the campaign shapes. There is no dearth of issues thanks to the
previous governments' non-performance.
How will BJP provide stability when it's chances of securing a
simple majority are not rated high? The new government may become
hostage to your allies without whose support you may not rule.
The BJP-led coalition will be stable, because the largest party
(BJP) will be sharing power with allies. Such coalitions have
worked satisfactorily in several countries, completing their full
terms without any question. Already, we have told our allies that
they can have their own manifestoes for fighting the elections.
When the question of government formation arises, we will try to
evolve a common minimum programme which will be implemented by
the ruling coalition There will be no question of any quarrel or
argument anywhere.
Unfortunately, the failure of the UF-led, Congress-supported
coalition has given rise to fears that coalitions are not stable.
Actually, the UF coalition could not survive because the largest
party, the Congress, had no stake in it. In our case the largest
party, the BJP, will have both stake and responsibility to make
it a success. Once we agree on a certain common minimum programme
and the general line to be adopted in dealing with corruption and
other issues, there would be no problem. Already, we are fighting
elections with a close understanding with our allies.
You could not win more than 160 seats in the Lok Sabha with the
emotive appeal of the mandir-masjid issue. What makes you more
optimistic now?
The BJP is no longer a party of the North. It is an all-India
party now with its presence in all the nooks and corners of
India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Already, we have negotiated
alliances with AIADMK, Lakshmi Parvathi's Telugu Desam and are
about to finalise an electoral arrangement with R K Hegde's Lok
Shakti, the details of which may be announced on January 8 or 9.
There is no state without a BJP presence any more.
Even leaders of the minority communities treat the BJP with
respect. The old charge against the BJP that it is non-secular no
longer holds good. India is a Hindu majority country where every
caste, creed and religious has equal rights. No BJP leader denies
this fact. Nor does anyone challenge our secular credentials any
more. Of course, we believe in Hinduism because it is a
commonwealth of all religions.
Apart from the fact that all previous governments have failed to
solve people's problems, an argument which we will extensively
use in the campaign, the fact that the BJP has enlarged its base
makes us confident of winning the elections. Of course, it is
true that there was not even a single Muslim member amongst BJP
Lok Sabha members in the past. We want to field Muslims this
time. But such decisions are ultimately dictated by the
winnability factor. Wherever we find Muslim BJP members having
good winning potential we shall field them. We would even like to
ensure that 33 per cent of the BJP nominees are women. But
winning potential again will dictate the choice.
You criticise the performance of UF and other previous
governments. What changes will you introduce, when you come to
power?
While the BJP is committed to a regimen of deregulation and
decontrol, we would like to be very cautious with regard to
economic reforms or what are called liberalisation measures. What
has liberalisation done so far to this country? Both industrial
growth and agricultural production have slackened. Liberalisation
cannot be at the cost of our own industries. What has happened to
the Asian tigers? That should teach us a lesson. We would not
like to imitate without examining the full implications of the
remedies we decide upon to tone up the economy.
Of course, people are sick of garibi hatao campaigns for they
have not changed the lot of the poor; on the contrary the level
of suffering and deprivation has increased in the country. We
have no magic remedies for solving these problems. But we shall
seriously deliberate on these issues and try to find what can be
done to change the lot of the poor. Wait for our manifesto which
will indicate, the measures we shall take to stimulate economy
and eradicate poverty.
People say Vajpayee is good, but not his party. Any comment?
No, it is not true. Certain things are said against the BJP
because of the sustained campaign of misinformation. Whatever I
am, it is because of the party to which I belong.
Whatever you may claim, differences in the BJP have already
started surfacing.
The stories of differences between me and Mr Advani are baseless.
It was Advani who proposed that I would be the prime ministerial
candidate of the party. Similarly, I have asked Mr Advani to
contest although earlier he was not inclined to do so. Our style
of working may be different, but so far as the goal of serving
the party and the people is concerned there is no difference of
opinion.
Assuming that you head the next government, what will he your
attitude towards Sonia Gandhi and the Bofors case, especially now
that she will be campaigning for the Congress?
There would be no question of vindictiveness or witch-hunting.
However, the law will take its course. As we have been saying all
along, investigation of corruption cases will be expedited.
Sonia Gandhi is not involved in any case. Sonia Gandhi's decision
to campaign for her party would hardly make any difference to the
outcome of the poll. lie problem is: where is the Congress?
Holding receptions or sounding bugles or bursting crackers to
welcome Soniaji does not mean the party has been rejuvenated. The
fact is that the grassroots support for the party has vanished.
Even if the Congress is there, it is in such a demoralised state
that it lacks the will to fight, to mobilise the people to vote
for the Congress nominees.
In any case, contrary to expectations, Mrs Gandhi's decision to
campaign for the Congress has not put a stop to Congressmen
joining our party. Every day, the movement from the Congress to
BJP is continuing. The election results will further open the
eyes of Congress leaders.
You have said BJP can't be the moral custodian when other parties
am playing foul.
I wanted to sound a warning to other parties not to resort to
undesirable practices. That the BJP would also do the same was
never my intention. The BJP would continue to be scrupulous in
such matters, as it has always been. Unfortunately, we have been
criticised for what happened in UP without any justification. The
fact is all the defectors who joined our party had been elected
as Congress members or members of other parties. Who gave them
legitimacy in the first place. It was not the BJP which gave
them tickets to contest elections. If they are in the BJP now,
it is the Congress's gift to us. We expect all our members to
conform to the standards and level of behaviour which govern the
rest of the party.
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