How does it feel to be back in the Secretariat? Back then (under Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit), the Delhi Secretariat and the CMO used to be very simple. The office that Arvind Kejriwal built looks like a builder's office, all granite and marble. All the bureaucrats who worked with us are now retired, and those posted at SDM level are now secretaries. But the best thing is that the lift man, peon, security, all of them are the same… They were the most happy to see me; that was a happy moment. From the Minister to bureaucrats to clerks, we all worked as a team, never misbehaved with anyone or bossed around. What has changed in you after you switched to the BJP? Whether I am in the BJP or any other party, common people have always been my priority. Even when I was in the Congress, despite the party being in such bad shape, people always connected with me. I am very thankful to the BJP leadership, which allowed me to function and work for the people. Without any doubt, no one can match the vision, leadership and popularity of our Prime Minister Narenda Modi. I had two interactions with him, and it was a pleasant surprise for me that he knew Delhi and its problems so well; his eye for detail… I am honoured to work under him. Definitely, when you are in a new party, you interact with new workers, learn from their way of functioning. In the Congress too, I got to run an organisation, which was definitely a learning experience. But the end-goal is the same, the development of Delhi. You are among the few leaders who has got a position in government after switching to the BJP from another party. Why do you think this happened? It is always the party which takes the decision… aisa nahi hai khali hum hi ko mila hai… I hope other people will also get a chance… But whatever responsibility the party has given me, I will try to deliver it to the best of my ability. What is the difference between the Congress and BJP governments? Delhi started to develop from 1993, when Madan Lal Khuranaji was the CM and BJP was in power. I maintained this even when I was in the Congress. Khuranaji started the Trans Yamuna Board and MLALAD fund in Delhi… After that, Sahib Singh Vermaji worked extensively for the development of unauthorised colonies. Sheila Dikshitji was one of the finest CMs Delhi has had. A lot of development took place at that time. But for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), development was not the key focus. The whole administrative structure of Delhi collapsed when AAP was in power. The government and bureaucrats did not trust each other, you (AAP) were fighting with the Lieutenant Governor, there was no coordination… Such an environment had never existed before… Khuranaji was CM and Congress was at the Centre; Sheila Dixit was CM and Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji was PM… they did not face any problems. Under AAP and Kejriwal, Delhi suffered the most because of his non-mature and stubborn attitude. Chief MInister Rekha Gupta has two major tasks: one is development and Yamuna rejuvenation; the other is to bring back the work culture that has deteriorated in the last 10 years. It may take time, but it will definitely happen. You have seen two women CMs now. What differences do you see? It’s too early to compare. I used to, and I do respect Sheila Dikshit a lot. She was a visionary. And I see Rekha Gupta is very hardworking; the way she is working and taking along everybody, discussing problems of Delhi and pushing things… I do hope she will become one of the good CMs of Delhi. Maybe she (Gupta) will become more popular than Sheila Dikshit. Dikshit was CM for 15 years; she (Gupta) has been there for only five months. And in this little time, people have started recognising her, knowing her… She is polite, she meets people regularly… I have seen many CMs and this is my fifth term in the Assembly. Without any doubt, I can say that I have never seen as hardworking a CM as Gupta. She is moving in the right direction. With the blessings of the Centre and PM, I definitely hope that the coming days will be good for Delhi. How different are the party cultures of the BJP and Congress? Both are national parties… I will not say ab ki Congress wo (old) Congress hai… Then, the Congress used to talk about the country; now the Congress talks about casteism; raises issues that anti-Congress parties used to raise. Whatever Rahul Gandhi’s great grandfather or grandmother or father used to say, ye usse ulti baat kar rahe hain. Now I am in the BJP, which talks about nationalism, development, and progress. The BJP has a clear vision and leadership. Earlier, people used to say that Indira Gandhi was a very powerful PM. I am saying that post-Independence, there has not been a more visionary, stronger PM than Narendra Modi in India. You held the Transport portfolio as Minister. How can Delhi’s public transport system be improved? This is a key area, which is responsible for pollution as well… Public transportation has miserably failed in Delhi. But with the help of the Centre, e-buses are coming, which is good… I have not discussed it with the CM because it is not in my purview, but in my opinion, Delhi immediately needs to introduce one new mode of transport like trams, monorail, or car pods… Electrification of bus depots will take time; until then the government should procure CNG buses also, if required. What is your vision for the Trans Yamuna area? The board was constituted in 1993 and O P Kohli was its first chairman. But the Board has been defunct for the last 10 years. I would like to thank the PM and CM for restarting this body. This is also the first time that they have given Cabinet rank to the chairman, so that this Board can function more effectively. Unfortunately, as the Board was constituted after the Budget, it does not have a budget yet. But the CM has promised to allocate funds in the Revised Estimates. We are making estimates to address problems like water, sewer, streets, first.
