BJP is communal

 

 

The former Karnataka Chief Minister J.H.Patel, had once said: “There are better things do than think of politics after 7 pm.” Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has, however, done nothing but think politics round the clock. This 74-year old warhorse, managed to stay in the political limelight, when his predecessors like I.K. Gujral got confined to page-3 of newspapers. A low profile Gowda also never lost an opportunity to make a bid for the throne. The former Prime Minister speaks to TSI’s Sanjay Basak on BJP and national politics.

What happened between the JD(S) and the BJP?

National leaders of neither the BJP nor the JD(S) were involved in the issue of power transfer. The matter was discussed between the chief minister and the state BJP leader, B.S. Yediyurappa. But the relationship between the BJP and JD(S) had become strained and BJP leaders kept saying that they have nothing to do with me. I chose to remain aloof unless the legislative party and the chief minister called me. Venkaiah Naidu even went on record saying ‘we have nothing to do with Deve Gowda’ but I still did not react.

What exactly went wrong?

The chief minister met the JD(S) leaders and he spoke for over an hour explaining everything. He told his party leaders that he had never suffered so much in his life and that he had never shown any kind of disrespect or lack of concern for the 17 BJP ministers in the cabinet. He explained everything chronologically.

Is it true that a BJP minister had levelled a murder charge against the chief minister?

The murder charge was levelled directly against the chief minister and no national leader of the BJP interfered. The chief minister was accused of being involved in a case of attempt to murder. Not a single BJP national leader, including Yediyurappa, intervened. They all kept quiet. The BJP never realised that this was going to hurt the coalition. I felt that the issue must be taken to the people.

In that case, looking back, don’t you think that it was a poor political decision to join hands with the BJP?

The amount of suffering that I and my son (Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy) went through says it all. It is a clear indication. If you will recall, when the decision to join the BJP was taken, I had strongly opposed it. I was completely against it. But then, the local Congress leaders tried to destroy my party. They were plotting to split it. It was at that point of time that the BJP leader approached my son and we came upon an arrangement. I had no prior inclination. You were finally emboldened by JD(S)’ resounding success in the civic polls?

I fought 13 elections and lost two of them. I don’t like to flaunt such victories. People give their verdict and we accept them. At times it is in one’s favour, other times it is not. These things can never be an indication of your party’s electoral prospect in the assembly elections. For instance, the BJP fared considerably well in the Uttar Pradesh local bodies polls. Look at what happened in the Assembly elections. Therefore, it would be foolish to sit on your past laurels and not work hard for the welfare of the people. The civic polls have nothing to with our problems with the BJP. The issues are completely different.

Would you say that you are ready for elections in Karnataka?

I have always said that the JD(S) believes in coalition dharma. If things do not work out well, then the inevitable happens. Let me be honest, we have never been shy of elections. The time to go to the people has come.

So do you feel that the BJP is not good for Karnataka?

At the national level, BJP has its own agenda. I am not interested in that. Never was. Though there was no written agreement, my son had entered into an understanding with the BJP. We decided to confine the issues to the development of Karnataka, not beyond that. If they had not crossed limits then there would have been no problem.

As a national leader, how do you look at the BJP’s national politics?

I do not want to cast any aspersions. First, for the BJP, it was the Ram temple and now it’s Ram Sethu. They have been using Lord Ram as a weapon since the past decade. Now they say, Ram temple is not our concern. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what will be its election plank, programmes or policies (laughs).

You were one of BJP’s severe critics…

(Frowns and cuts in) Critic? I dismissed a BJP government. Is BJP’s politics responsible for dividing the country on communal lines?

The country has been divided on the basis of caste and religion. I do not want to point fingers at parties and leaders responsible for this. I could go on taking names but I will not.

Do you expect a snap-poll in the country?

The atmosphere is such. There are problems within the UPA.

What is your take on the Indo-US nuke deal?

I have always maintained that a country’s sovereignty cannot be mortgaged to anybody.

What about the Left’s stand on it?

The Left has taken a particular stand. My opposition is on the grounds that India cannot be dictated by western powers. India’s economic policies cannot be dictated by western policies. The question here is: How much nuclear energy do we need? How much nuclear energy is being generated in America? The arguments being put forward at this juncture are not convincing.

Would you say that the BJP is communal?

By and large, its policies look like that. But a person like Atal Behari Vajpayee has proved his liberal credentials. He has taken liberal stands on contentious issues. Like Gujarat, the BJP has been trying to turn Karnataka into a Hindutva laboratory.

Do you see L.K. Advani as Prime Minister?

The issue of foreign origin had come before me once. I had said that it is the Congress party’s internal affair. Finally, it is the people who will decide whether they want L.K. Advani as Prime Minister or Sonia Gandhi. I represent a regional outfit, I cannot prevent either of them from becoming Prime Minister.

Is the JD(S) considering the option of joining hands with other secular forces?

When my son joined hands with the BJP, the damage was done. We are slowly coming out of it. Very slowly. If there is a snap poll, I shall travel to other states. But right now, my job is to strengthen my party in the state.

Who is enemy number one for the JD(S), Congress or BJP?

JD(S)’ decision has always been to maintain an equal distance from both, the BJP and the Congress.