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Jitender Gupta

interview

'The Presidential Polls Led To Problems With The Allies'

The BJP chief who has had to expend far too much energy in climbing the slippery slope of the BJP's power structure on his not-so-smooth innings as party president.

Saba Naqvi Interviews Rajnath Singh

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Rajnath Singh has had a rough ride since he took over the presidency of the BJP less than two years ago. Brought in as the young Thakur face from the Hindi belt, Rajnath has had to expend far too much energy in climbing the slippery slope of the saffron party's power structure. Ambitious colleagues who delight in running down the party president, ageing leaders who still cling on to the frayed vestiges of power and dream of a political future, have all played their part in undermining Rajnath.

Removing Modi from the parliamentary board was 70% RSS and 30% my decision.

The fact that the BJP fared abysmally in UP was also a personal disaster for the BJP president. In this interview to Saba Naqvi Bhaumik, Rajnath Singh talks about his not-so-smooth innings as party president. Excerpts:

Did you support the strategies of the BJP/NDA during the recent presidential polls? Hasn't it led to divisions among the allies?

There can be no question of the BJP president disagreeing with a strategy followed by the party. But yes, there are problems with the allies that have arisen after the presidential polls. There were certain local compulsions that arose and the allies had to develop different strategies from that of the BJP.

But an entire new front has been created and that cannot be to your advantage...

Parties come together during an election. Yes, there were certain compulsions faced by the TMC and Shiv Sena. We understood that but in politics things can change in time.

Has the BJP gained anything from the presidential polls?

Why talk in terms of gain? We had wanted the ruling party to take the initiative to forge a consensus. But no such offer came from them. We had to put up a candidate.

There appears to have been a difference of perception between you and L.K. Advani over the presidential polls...

Not true. There were no differences.

The next big battle for the BJP is Gujarat. But the VHP and large sections of the RSS are unhappy. There is open rebellion in the BJP state unit. How do you react to this?

All parties have problems. There will always be a few in every party who will be unhappy. It is the same with the BJP. But there is no vertical division in the Gujarat parivar. The party remains intact.

There is open rebellion and yet you say the party is intact?

Every party has problems, including the Congress. So don't make too much of it.

When did you last meet Narendra Modi to discuss the problem of dissidence?

Over a month ago. We met for an hour and a half.

On January 29 this year, you had removed Modi from the BJP's highest decision-making body—the parliamentary board. At the same time Arun Jaitley was removed as chief spokesperson of the BJP. Did you act under RSS pressure or advice?

The media made too much of it. These were routine changes. Okay, the RSS was consulted. In Modi's case it was 70 per cent RSS and 30 per cent my decision. In Jaitley's case the responsibility was 50:50.

Rajnathji, you know Modi is a strongman and he would have seen this as a slight.

No, no, no! Narendra Modi is not a dada. He is an asset for our party (laughs).

And what about Arun Jaitley? Why make him an enemy who would then run you down?

(Laughs) You only run down rivals. As you all very well know, Arun Jaitley has no rivals in the party and he never runs down his colleagues.

After the UP debacle, you gave him charge of the state and made it clear that he would be kept out of Gujarat.

Advaniji has never discussed his desire to be the next prime ministerial candidate ever with me.

Now suddenly you have also made Jaitley the election-in-charge of Gujarat. Did Modi ask for Jaitley? How do you explain this change of mind?

It was quite clear that Jaitley wanted to work with Modi in Gujarat and I saw no reason to stop him.

The old guard of Gujarat have been systematically destroyed by Modi. What will happen to them?

You are talking of people like Keshubhai Mehta. Narendra Modi is not the only politician who cuts down his rivals. Everyone does this in politics. Modi has his own style of human management.

Modi is believed to be trying to cut down the Sangh and the VHP...

From what I know of Modi, I don't believe it. He was a pracharak once.

There are RSS functionaries who say Modi is too arrogant and won't share anything with even the cadre who worked for him...

There is no such thing. Narendra Modi has his own personality. I am sure he will lead BJP to victory in Gujarat.

Why has the BJP joined the tamasha of putting up a Muslim vice-presidential candidate, Najma Heptullah. Isn't this pseudo-secularism?

Some NDA leaders felt we should put up a candidate.

Advani sees himself as the future prime ministerial candidate of the BJP. How do you feel about this?

Advaniji has never discussed this with me.


	Modi is not the only one who cuts down rivals. Everyone does this in politics.

So why should I have a reaction?

But it is quite clear he does not want to retire.

Why should Atalji or Advaniji retire if they don't want to?

RSS chief K.S. Sudershan had said it is time for the old guard to retire and make way for younger people. He said that the next leader should be young...

(Laughs) I don't consider Atalji-Advaniji to be buzurg ( senior citizens). Both of them work so hard for the party even today.

Who do you trust the most in the party? Do you believe certain individuals are running you down because they want your job?

I trust everyone and I trust myself. Ek se ek log hain party mein (There are all sorts in the party). There are some people who tell lies. But most are honest. For me personally the biggest setback was the performance of the BJP in UP.

Your critics say that some RSS leaders have begun to have second thoughts about your leadership and that you will be nothing without the RSS...

The media is really trying to create a story. The RSS is united and does not have factions. I am loyal to the RSS and it backs me completely. I have worked for the Sangh from my early youth. I have propagated their ideology from the beginning. Yes, you are right I would be nothing without the RSS.

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Filed In Topics: BJP, Rajnath Singh, Saba Naqvi

More In: National, Interviews

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HAVE YOUR SAY

Aug 01, 2007 12:00 AM 5	People, see for yourself, what an Indian Mullah has to say in a pakistani newspaper. http://www.dawn.com/2007/08/01/letted.htm#2 This Mullah DR ABDUL RUFFF works in JNU and like his Mullah brothers in Londinistan, he has nothing to say anything good about India, US, UK, Russia, Japan, Korea, But full of praise for Mulladoms and Khilafat. The weakness of the modern world is its inability punish these educated satans. jaleel luknow, India
Jul 31, 2007 12:00 AM 4	"This presidential election is a good example of how the Congress has handed over to the Left the authority to certify any of its leaders and actions as secular or non-secular. So its home minister is not qualified for presidency not because his police and spooks failed to catch any terrorist in three years, but because he is a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba and was ‘soft’ (fair?) with the BJP when speaker of the Lok Sabha. As if this country has banned religion, or God, or godmen! Which party allows its senior-most leaders to be humiliated in public like that? And why? And finally, if the man’s secular commitment is so suspect, how can he continue to be the presiding deity of law and order in the entire country? The fact is, the Congress knows there is no problem with Patil’s secularism. It is just that it has now painted itself into a corner where the secular commitment of anybody is now to be certified by the Left. And what applies to individuals applies to policies as well. Those of us who had stuck our necks out and underlined the dangers of communalising our foreign policy can now draw some perverse I-told-you-so joy. Unfortunately, the same communalisation that distorted our foreign policy is now beginning to damage our internal security policy. It is a matter of time before it begins to blight our economic policy as well. The prime minister is much too wise not to figure that. But even someone as patient and skilful as he is may find it tough to cut through this ideological fog shrouding his party and government now. This continuing failure on internal security and reverse-communalisation of the entire UPA political discourse will strengthen Hindu forces, and any gain in Muslim votes, if at all, won’t come to the Congress, which now faces the old predicament of na khuda hi mila, na visal-e sanam." conclusive extract from: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/204045._.html Vijay Agarwal Northampton, United Kingdom
Jul 30, 2007 12:00 AM 3	When the Jan Sangh had leaders like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Vajapayee, Advani, Joshi, Balraj Madhok etc, all top ranking leaders, the media never tried to create rift among them because the party was inconsequential in the politics of India. But in the 80s and 90s when the BJP became a force to reckon with, the media went into overdrive. First they tried to break the half a century old friendship between Vajapayee and Advani. It didn't work. BJP came to rule India and ruled India successfully for six years continuously with Vajapayee and Advani at the helm. Still, the media, with a never-say-die spirit, went ahead and created camps, neatly dividing the other leaders into Vajapayee camp and Advani camp. The voters took no note of it. Though the party failed to get requisite seats in the 2004 elections, thanks entirely to the utter failure of Chandrababu Naidu in AP and the desertion by Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu yet, the party has come to power in several states. The media still thinks that if it persists with its game plan, sooner or later they are going to strike pay dirt. The latest interview of Saba Naqvi is an example of this spirit. Foreign funds from Christian missions and the Middle East kingdoms are also a big help for the Naqvis, Sangvis, Mehtas, Guptas and Padgaonkars. Read the following comment of Saba Naqvi: "Ambitious colleagues who delight in running down the party president, ageing leaders who still cling on to the frayed vestiges of power and dream of a political future, have all played their part in undermining Rajnath" She never misses an opportunity to run down Advani, because, with Vajapayee already in semi retirement, the only threat to the secular brigade's dream of annointing Sonia Gandhi the empress of India is Advani. The entire exercise in this article by Saba is to create doubt in Rajnath Singh's mind about his seniors and colleagues and make him keep looking over his shoulder for back-stabbers. She along with a host of her other secular scribes keeps asking the question: 'if there can be back-stabbers a plenty in congress and if the BJP looks more and more like the Congress, still why are there no back-stabbers in the BJP?'. Rajnath Singh has refused to rise to the bait. He has cleared the air on the relationship between Modi and himself. I only hope that these wise secular scribes will see the futility of attempting to break the unity in the party. B.V.SHENOY BANGALORE, India
Jul 28, 2007 12:00 AM 2	>> "For me personally the biggest setback was the performance of the BJP in UP" (Rajnath Singh). But our forumites say that the BJP had aimed for the third place, and was successful in getting it! Ghulam Y Faruki New York, United States
Jul 28, 2007 12:00 AM 1	Ganpat/Bagai, >> Muslims are about 150 millions in this country, but have still to make a mark in any worthwhile manner. What a stupid statement! And how would a blind bigot like you see any Muslim progress? Ghulam Y Faruki New York, United States

Jul 28, 2007 12:00 AM 1	Ganpat/Bagai, >> Muslims are about 150 millions in this country, but have still to make a mark in any worthwhile manner. What a stupid statement! And how would a blind bigot like you see any Muslim progress? Ghulam Y Faruki New York, United States
Jul 28, 2007 12:00 AM 2	>> "For me personally the biggest setback was the performance of the BJP in UP" (Rajnath Singh). But our forumites say that the BJP had aimed for the third place, and was successful in getting it! Ghulam Y Faruki New York, United States
Jul 30, 2007 12:00 AM 3	When the Jan Sangh had leaders like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Vajapayee, Advani, Joshi, Balraj Madhok etc, all top ranking leaders, the media never tried to create rift among them because the party was inconsequential in the politics of India. But in the 80s and 90s when the BJP became a force to reckon with, the media went into overdrive. First they tried to break the half a century old friendship between Vajapayee and Advani. It didn't work. BJP came to rule India and ruled India successfully for six years continuously with Vajapayee and Advani at the helm. Still, the media, with a never-say-die spirit, went ahead and created camps, neatly dividing the other leaders into Vajapayee camp and Advani camp. The voters took no note of it. Though the party failed to get requisite seats in the 2004 elections, thanks entirely to the utter failure of Chandrababu Naidu in AP and the desertion by Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu yet, the party has come to power in several states. The media still thinks that if it persists with its game plan, sooner or later they are going to strike pay dirt. The latest interview of Saba Naqvi is an example of this spirit. Foreign funds from Christian missions and the Middle East kingdoms are also a big help for the Naqvis, Sangvis, Mehtas, Guptas and Padgaonkars. Read the following comment of Saba Naqvi: "Ambitious colleagues who delight in running down the party president, ageing leaders who still cling on to the frayed vestiges of power and dream of a political future, have all played their part in undermining Rajnath" She never misses an opportunity to run down Advani, because, with Vajapayee already in semi retirement, the only threat to the secular brigade's dream of annointing Sonia Gandhi the empress of India is Advani. The entire exercise in this article by Saba is to create doubt in Rajnath Singh's mind about his seniors and colleagues and make him keep looking over his shoulder for back-stabbers. She along with a host of her other secular scribes keeps asking the question: 'if there can be back-stabbers a plenty in congress and if the BJP looks more and more like the Congress, still why are there no back-stabbers in the BJP?'. Rajnath Singh has refused to rise to the bait. He has cleared the air on the relationship between Modi and himself. I only hope that these wise secular scribes will see the futility of attempting to break the unity in the party. B.V.SHENOY BANGALORE, India
Jul 31, 2007 12:00 AM 4	"This presidential election is a good example of how the Congress has handed over to the Left the authority to certify any of its leaders and actions as secular or non-secular. So its home minister is not qualified for presidency not because his police and spooks failed to catch any terrorist in three years, but because he is a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba and was ‘soft’ (fair?) with the BJP when speaker of the Lok Sabha. As if this country has banned religion, or God, or godmen! Which party allows its senior-most leaders to be humiliated in public like that? And why? And finally, if the man’s secular commitment is so suspect, how can he continue to be the presiding deity of law and order in the entire country? The fact is, the Congress knows there is no problem with Patil’s secularism. It is just that it has now painted itself into a corner where the secular commitment of anybody is now to be certified by the Left. And what applies to individuals applies to policies as well. Those of us who had stuck our necks out and underlined the dangers of communalising our foreign policy can now draw some perverse I-told-you-so joy. Unfortunately, the same communalisation that distorted our foreign policy is now beginning to damage our internal security policy. It is a matter of time before it begins to blight our economic policy as well. The prime minister is much too wise not to figure that. But even someone as patient and skilful as he is may find it tough to cut through this ideological fog shrouding his party and government now. This continuing failure on internal security and reverse-communalisation of the entire UPA political discourse will strengthen Hindu forces, and any gain in Muslim votes, if at all, won’t come to the Congress, which now faces the old predicament of na khuda hi mila, na visal-e sanam." conclusive extract from: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/204045._.html Vijay Agarwal Northampton, United Kingdom
Aug 01, 2007 12:00 AM 5	People, see for yourself, what an Indian Mullah has to say in a pakistani newspaper. http://www.dawn.com/2007/08/01/letted.htm#2 This Mullah DR ABDUL RUFFF works in JNU and like his Mullah brothers in Londinistan, he has nothing to say anything good about India, US, UK, Russia, Japan, Korea, But full of praise for Mulladoms and Khilafat. The weakness of the modern world is its inability punish these educated satans. jaleel luknow, India

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