The UPA government at the Centre has won a commendable victory in the trust vote over the nuke deal and is all set to sign it. But the victory has become mired in controversy after the cash for votes scam. In the backdrop of these developments, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh in an exclusive interview with Zeenews’ Swati Chaturvedi in ‘Kahiye Janab’ spoke on all these issues and much more.
Swati: Amidst the slogans of Singh is King after your victory in Vote of Confidence, is Manmohan Singh once again going to be your party’s Prime Ministerial candidate in the next general elections?
Digvijay Singh: Congress never reveals its candidate for the post of Prime Minister before hand because if a candidate’s name is disclosed, then in a way the members of the majority party are deprived of their right to choose their leader, which shouldn’t happen.
Swati: A big doubt that has always hovered around the Prime Minister is that he is basically not a politician but a technocrat, a nominated PM, not an elected one and Advani has gone on record saying that he is the weakest PM India has ever seen. Has his lofty image of late been somewhat grounded?
Digvijay Singh: After the victory of Congress in the Vote of Confidence no one can say that Manmohan Singh is a weak Prime Minister. If he is a technocrat, if he has been an economist it has worked for the benefit of the country. In the four and a half years of Congress rule, he has done so much for the development of the economy. He is one of the most unblemished Prime Ministers the country has ever had.
Swati: But how can you say he is an unblemished Prime Minister when his Govt is surviving on the support of 19 defectors? Technically speaking if these 19 MPs would not have voted for your party then you would have been nowhere. And if Anti Defection Law is applied on them your govt will again become a minority?
Digvijay Singh: Even if the six MPs of Samajwadi Party would not have voted we were in a majority. Cross voting was there in NDA rule also. Anti Defection Law is fine but people do have an independence of choice and we should remember that the vote was on nuke deal. Moreover the Anti Defection Law has been brought about for reasons other than this.
Swati: But it was due to your party only….
Digvijay Singh: No the perpetrator of defection and horse-trading was actually the Jana Sangh. They had helped in the downfall of UP, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh governments in 1967 when Govind Narayan Singh and Bhajan Lal were defeated.
Swati: Ok let us forget the genesis of Anti Defection Law and tell me what have you to say in defence of the accusation that the money that was brought in the Parliament was from Madhya Pradesh?
Digvijay Singh: Advani has agreed that the money was brought in the Parliament with his consent and I think in doing so he not only smirched his own image as the Leader of Opposition but also tarnished the picture of the Indian Parliament before the world. It would have been more appropriate if he had taken the Speaker into confidence about the entire thing. And if what the opposition claims actually happened then why was the police not called then and there to nab the culprits? BJP has not done this for the first time. It was BJP that brought money and got the sting operation done.
Swati: What about the MP connection…?
Digvijay Singh: Yes it is true, many notes were from Madhya Pradesh banks but then let me assure you there is no MP connection as such.
Swati: Whether the Congress accepts it or not, Left was actually a very dependable ally. It packed in more honesty and intellect than do most political parties. It still holds on to an ideology whether right or wrong. And most people in the country have quite a different view about your new ally the Samajwadi Party. So what do you think the future of this coalition is going to be?
Digvijay Singh: Yes you are quite right about the Left. No doubt they were quite dependable allies. But the problem with them is that they think in one limited direction. They have blinkers attached and they cannot think in beyond their limited field. And we should not forget that SP had initially supported the UPA government. And our ideologies are also same to quite an extent. Mulayam has been fighting communal forces all his life.
Swati: Don’t you think fighting communal forces has become a cliché these days? The case may be any the plea is always this! Isn’t the country being fooled by the opportunistic use of this word?
Digvijay Singh: The biggest problem that the country is facing today is terrorism and its root lies in communalism.
Swati: But I would like to interrupt you here Mr Singh, I think you forget that it is in Congress’ tenure that 600 innocent people have died as victims of terrorist attacks. And it is a widely prevalent view that your government is soft on terror. Your Home Minister should go home- is said mockingly!
Digvijay Singh: Don’t forget that while in 1990s terrorism was confined to J&K and Punjab but after Advani’s Rath Yatra terrorism became widespread in India.
Swati: But you have no right to say this as maximum riots have taken place in the country during Congress party regime?
Digvijay Singh: But ever since I have become the Chief Minister of MP, no communal riot has taken place here. Besides, law and order is a state subject and the police work under the State Government. When Bangalore blasts occurred, was the Gujarat police sleeping? Why didn’t it send alerts across the state and take needful precautions? That could have saved so many innocent lives. Narendra Modi brags and boasts how developed his state is but the Ahmedabad blasts have shown the utter failure of his administration.
Swati: But has your party not been soft on terror? And you have proved it quite well by repealing POTA, your Home Minister says Naxalites are misguided children and you abolished the national identity cards giving Bangladeshis all freedom?
Digvijay Singh: POTA was not a deterrent against terrorism. POTA was very much there when Parliament, Red fort and Akshardham were attacked. It rather became an instrument in the hands of local police of earning money and harassing common people. This law caused untold agony to innumerable people who were imprisoned under the act.
And we cannot be blind to the fact that Naxalism is indeed a socio economic problem and it will have to be dealt keeping this thing in mind.
Swati: Congress has come to power with the welfare of common man as the sole agenda. But the actual problems of poverty, inflation and terrorism has long been relegated to the background and the party is just harping over the nuke deal?
Digvijay Singh: No you cannot associate nuke deal with what the party has done for the masses. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and Right to Information Act were introduced in Congress regime. Not to speak of the huge funds spent on social welfare programmes. And BJP is not a party which ever sticks to its stand. It was they who initiated the issue of nuke deal and now that we adopted it they began clamouring against it. The same was the case with VAT if you remember.
Swati: What portion of flesh is SP extracting for giving support to the Congress? Do they want seats in cabinet? What else they desire?
Digvijay Singh: It depends on the Prime Minister. If he wants to take JMM and SP in the cabinet we are ok with it.
Swati: Don’t you think the nice guy image of Manmohan Singh is being maligned? His government has not only backtracked in its opposition to the Samajwadi Party for material gains but is also considering taking a convicted MP in the cabinet?
Digvijay Singh: There has not been any conviction of Shibu Soren. His case that goes back to 1973-74 was about fighting in support of the adivasis against their exploitation.
Swati: Let me remind you Mr Singh the case against Shibu Soren is actually that of mass murder in Chirund and the murder of his own PA who was a witness to JMM bribery case?
Digvijay Singh: No he was not involved in Chirund case. The children of those who died were taken care of by none other than Shibu Soren and he was acquitted in the other case. Is it a crime to fight for the rights of tribals?
Swati: With third front gradually uniting behind Maya, can she be a prospective Prime Ministerial candidate?
Digvijay Singh: Every body has a right to wish to be the Prime Minister and if she is able to manage support, she is most welcome. And in Congress only he will be the Prime Minister whom Sonia desires.
Swati: Can Digvijay Singh become Prime Minister?
Digvijay Singh: It is a hypothetical question and I can’t answer it.
Swati: It is said you are a mass leader and you are also very close to Rahul. When you were defeated in MP you said you will not contest elections and will also not accept any post, do you still stand by it?
Digvijay Singh: Yes I do.
Swati: Where do you see yourself in future?
Digvijay Singh: My future is in Congress organization.
Swati: You have worked with Indira Gandhi, Sanjay, Rajiv and Sonia. Can you strike a comparison between them and Rahul?
Digvijay Singh: Rahul is sharp and intelligent. He has dynamism and respect for elders. He has a strong as well as a gentle personality. He has humbleness and dynamism of Rajiv and the determination of Sonia. I cannot compare him with Indira as she belonged to an entirely different era.
Adapted by Smita Mishra
