New Delhi: BJP does not believe in dynasty politics and the party is functioning fundamentally in the same manner as it did in the past, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.
In conversation with ThePrint’s Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta at Off The Cuff in New Delhi, Gadkari spoke at length on why the BJP has not declared a chief minister candidate for West Bengal as well as Assam, and also on the overall functioning of the party.
“Our party is not a party of families. I also used to put posters on the wall and put paint on the wall. Modiji’s parents were also not MLA or MP. He used to work in a tea shop.”
He continued: “In our party, we don’t believe in dynasty politics… Atal ji was not that, neither Advani nor Syama Prasad (Mookerjee) was like that. We, in our public life, with conviction, put our faith in democratic principles.”
Responding to how the BJP was following the Congress path of ‘high command culture’ when it comes to announcing chief ministerial candidates, Gadkari said the announcement of candidates before elections in BJP are done only when they have an “obvious” leader to be nominated, as was in the case of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“In any democratic party … new MLAs and MPs after being elected choose their leader. At the same time, before elections, the party announces the name of the leader too, like the way the party had nominated Modi ji before the elections. So we announce candidates before elections only if there is an obvious leader to be nominated, like in the case of Modiji. We take into account political gain, loss etc., before arriving at such a decision,” he said.
Referring to Yogi Adityanath’s selection as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after the election, Gadkari said it was a decision by the party’s high command. “The parliamentary board is supreme. Even during Atal ji, Advani ji’s time, there were times the parliamentary board decided (on such matters).”
In the case of Assam and West Bengal too, Gadkari said, the party will decide once elections are over.
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‘We have elections from booth level to all-India presidents’
Asked about the changes that the BJP has witnessed, especially in the way it functions, Gadkari said the party is the same as it was the past. “(The) party is running the way it should and it will run like that in future also. It is the same as it was earlier. It’s a party for workers. We have got the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani ji, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and our party is carrying that legacy forward.”
He added: “Every party president has his vision, has his approach… with time generation, things change. Now the culture of video conferences has come. It was not there earlier. Depending on the situation, things change but fundamental values remain the same.”
Asked to define the basic structure of the BJP, Gadkari said: “It’s a party of workers. It’s a democratic party where elections are held. We have elections right from booth level, from elected state presidents we elect all all-India presidents. In some places, voting happens.”
Responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements that no one questions BJP about lack of internal democracy, Gadkari retorted: “Rahul Gandhi does not know. He talks non-serious stuff. In BJP, in every state, every district and every town, election has happened. Today Nadda ji has come after getting elected. In some places, some people are there for a temporary period. But they will also have to go through the electoral process.”
Defining the ideological structure of the BJP, Gadkari said: “Ideologically, our soul is nationalism. Then good governance. In a democracy, both ruling and opposition parties play an important role and need to be balanced. When we are ruling, we will work for good governance. When we are in opposition, we will do our work.”
The Union minister, who has been campaigning in Assam and West Bengal, said “good governance and development” is the agenda of the party, and added that the party believes in “inclusivity”. “We work to uplift the economically and socially poor.”
The BJP leader stressed on the fact that “nationalism is Hindutva only”.
He argued that Hindutva is a way of life and not a communal word. “You must have heard what Savarkar had said. Hindutva is not linked to any religion. The definition of Hindutva by the Supreme Court is that it is a way of life. Hindutva is a way of life. Hindutva cannot be called a communal word. For instance, the secular word’s definition is ‘justice for all and appeasement of none — ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas‘.”
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‘CAA will ensure influx of refugees stops’
Gadkari said certain parties indulge in appeasement politics. “Appeasement is done by political parties who talk about giving voting rights and citizenship to foreigners who enter our country. They support such things, and it is an anti-national approach. Our Constitution says Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian if they come from any country and seek citizenship, they have a right to ask that,” he said.
Gadkari reiterated the party’s stand that the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will ensure that the influx of refugees stops. “India’s internal and external security is our priority.”
He added: “But after Pakistan and Bangladesh being created and Pakistan becoming a Muslim nation, we did not declare ourselves a Hindu Nation. If a Muslim wants to go to any country, he has at least 100-200-odd countries to reach out to, but where would Sikhs, Hindus of this country go to?”
However, when asked specifically about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the fact that those who came after 1971 will be deported to Bangladesh, he said: “New people entering India should be stopped. Bangladesh is our friend and we will discuss it with them and make a decision. This is a sensitive issue and Bangladesh and India will discuss it at length and then decide.”
Gadkari also refuted allegations of social and economic discrimination levelled on the BJP by the opposition. “Allegations of social, economic and regional discrimination against us are baseless. We are committed to social and economic equality.”
He cited several examples to prove his point. “Under Modi ji, we got Ujjwala scheme and more than 10 crore people benefited. Have Modi’s schemes not benefited Muslims and Christians? We opened Jan Dhan accounts, so did Muslims not open their accounts? Are Muslims not getting benefited out of Ayushman Bharat Scheme?”
The minister added: “About us, an image versus reality and ground reality versus politics is what is the issue. For vote bank politics, some people have tried to defame us.”
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‘BJP will win both Assam and Bengal’
On the party’s prospects in the ongoing assembly polls, Gadkari said they are confident of forming government in West Bengal and Assam. “In Assam, we will win and in West Bengal also, we will get phenomenal support. BJP will be able to form the government on its own.”
He added: “In Assam, it’s a positive vote for PM Modi and CM Sarbananda Sonowal. In West Bengal, we are reaping the benefits of the work done by PM Modi but in West Bengal people tried Congress, CPM, and later Mamata but now they are unhappy with all three and they see BJP as an alternative.”
Gadkari also referred to the recent political developments in Maharashtra, though he maintained that he is not involved in state politics. “The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is born out of an unnatural alliance. Cases like Sachin Waze’s have shamed the state.”
‘Nothing to do with Scania scam’
Gadkari also cleared the air on the Scania ‘scam’, in which he was accused of corruption. “I am the transport minister of this country and for 12 years I have been trying to bring ethanol run buses in the country. Scania is the first company in the country that makes buses that run on ethanol. I promoted the company to bring ethanol-run buses in India. I went to Sweden also. First some people said that the company has funded my trip. But the allegations did not hold as I had purchased tickets from my credit card,” he said.
“Bus runs on fees. The Indian company completed the loan. It’s between Scania and the Indian company. I have nothing to do with it. Scania declared that we have not given any bus to Gadkari. Now, I have filed a defamation case against the journalists in a London court. It’s mischievous and is blackmailing. My initiative was that I pushed for ethanol-run buses because when I spoke about it, no one believed. So I thought let it run on a pilot. I have promoted ethanol, electric bus … does it mean I own them?”
Gadkari added: “It’s my mission. India imports crude oil worth Rs 8 lakh crore. If we go at this rate, it will increase four times. Now… if biofuel is promoted, it will save this (money), our youth will get jobs…”
(Edited by Sanghamitra Mazumdar)
Rahul Gandhi is the most stupid top rank leader Congress ever had. His mental abilities are not developed enough to take and debate on serious matters. However, the worst aspect of Congress is that there in nobody to challenge this half developed human.
Whether Papu Gandhi knows or not is immaterial but BJP defenetly know that they very much need Nehru Gandhi for political survival. If Rahul Papu Gandhi is irrelevant why talk about him and his family.
However, my comments are not through Oversight as government has turned today on April Fools Day. We don’t whether heads would roll as it happens if such oversight was committed by poor small time officer or staff. If people leave everything to this over sight govt, even God cannot save us
For God’s sake let’s make this clown pappy irrelevant. The whole corrupt
maino family must go to jail.
Great guy. Proved himself able and smart. A go getter.
Well Said ?
A damm fool, an uneducated moron, a donkey masquerading as a “national leader”. The country is very very very fortunate for the change that took place in 2014, else this clown and his coterie of thugs & rascals would have sold & permanently pushed the nation into the dark ages.
Pappu knows nothing about anything. That is an open secret by now.