BJP is a one-man show, two-men army…that’s why I’m in Congress, says Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha, who joined Congress last week, says BJP now an autocratic party and he prefers the 'better party... one of Nehru-Gandhis, Patel and Manmohan'.

New Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha with party chief Rahul Gandhi | @ShatruganSinha/Twitter

New Delhi: “It’s a one-man show and two-men army.” This is how Shatrughan Sinha described the BJP, days after he switched over to the Congress.

The actor-turned-politician is the sitting MP from Bihar’s Patna Sahib, and will take on the BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad in the constituency.

“I have got nothing against most leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. They are like family members; they have taught me a lot. I hold most of them in high esteem. But, since (they are) a one-man show and two-men army, (and) the way they are behaving or not behaving rightly, and the way they are coming one after other — the hollow promises…Slowly and surely different things started happening,” Sinha told ThePrint in an exclusive interview.

“After Vajpayee’s era, the party has turned from democracy to autocracy. They don’t believe in collective decision at all. Now, they would go for solo and autocratic decision. That is why, I am in the Congress today,” he told ThePrint.

Sinha said that anybody in the BJP was branded as an anti-national if they praised people from other party “based on truth and principles”.

Speaking about the Congress manifesto, Sinha said it was the best thing to have come out in the last many years. He also praised the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi whom he termed as “tried, tested and successful” because within a year, he secured electoral victories for his party in three major Hindi heartland states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Sinha said apart from the Congress, he also got offers from Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal.

When asked what took him so long to leave the BJP, Sinha said he had been waiting “impatiently for this day” even though “it’s been a great learning experience in the BJP”.

“I have been waiting impatiently in the BJP for this day. In the sense that I had promised them that I shall never leave the party but if the party wants me to leave, they are most welcome,” the 72-year-old MP said.

“I have been fighting on the basis of truth and principle. Because I believe that party is bigger than any individual and of course the nation is bigger than the party. Whatever I have said in the past whether for or against demonetisation, and GST, that’s purely in national interest, not self-interest,” he added.

Why Congress?

“I did say I shall not leave, but when I saw recently and they have been threatening me over the years, and they have been saying they will chuck me out of the party, they will take action against me. I said take it fine, fair enough. But remember the third law of Newton, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So they didn’t take it. They announced the name of our friend Ravi Shankar Prasad, that too without consulting me, without talking to me, without asking me. So, I could see the writing on the wall. And I said this is high time and the right time,” he said.

Sinha said he chose a “better party” and RJD leader and friend Lalu Prasad Yadav also told him to opt for Congress as his seat was falling under the Congress quota.

“I decided to join a national party…better party, party of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, the great Madam Indira Gandhi, right from Indira Gandhi, to Rajiv Gandhi to tried, tested and successful, the face of today and tomorrow — Rahul Gandhi, and many other stalwarts like Manmohan Singh, the great economist,” he said.

“Besides my feeling, friend Lalu Prasad also suggested that given the choice, chance and now priority, you should go for Congress, and I had already announced long ago whatever be the situation, the location will be the same (that he will contest only from Patna Sahib),” Sinha said.

BJP’s manifesto

Sinha said when he was asked to comment on BJP’s manifesto — Sankalp Patra (document of resolve) — all he could think of was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attire. “They asked me the best thing you liked about the Sankalp Patra – and my answer was the jacket he was wearing, the black jacket he was wearing, it looks very good. And the way he has reduced his weight through photoshop”.

On Advani’s recent blog

“I have been saying this since the last so many years. I have always been on the same page with Mr Advani, especially in these matters. I also learnt from him and have been preaching and practising that your opponent is not your enemy. They all belong to the same society. You may disagree with them, you may not accept their suggestions, but, you have to respect their decisions and suggestions,” he said.

Sinha cited an example that he has always praised UPA chairperson “Madam Sonia Gandhi as a daughter, as a bhabhi, as a sister, as a wife of late and great Rajiv Gandhi, as the mother of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and as the daughter-in-law of the Nehru-Gandhi family”.

He further said the entire Nehru family – the family of nation builders — has contributed a lot in in terms of peace, progress and development of the nation. “So I have saluted them and I will always salute them. But, then our people (BJP members) would take it otherwise. I say bhai sportsmanship rakho na. If they behave well, you should appreciate them”.

Calling Adavni a saint, Sinha said the BJP has not treated its senior leaders well.

“I left but with confidence. But, the way they behaved with stalwarts like Jaswant Singh, the founding member of the BJP, Dr Murli manohar Joshi – the most learned man – the kind of insult and humiliation he faced, most learned and par excellence Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha (former finance minister) was tortured so much that he had to quit and then Advani ji who did so much for the party – everybody knows, (and) the way they have behaved with him, he’s so heart-broken”.