Amit Shah on BBC documentary and Adani row: Allegations against Modi since 2002, he always comes out shining

“There is no question of it (crony capitalism). No one can accuse the BJP of any such thing. During their (Congress) time, their own agencies had registered cases related to scams worth over Rs 12,000 crore,” the senior BJP leader said.

When asked if he saw the Adani controversy erupting right after the BBC documentary as a conspiracy, Shah said, “Conspire as much against the truth as you want, it will come out shining like the sun. These people are after Modiji since 2002. But every time Modiji has come out clean and become more popular.”

On Monday, the Centre agreed to a committee to be set up by the Supreme Court for strengthening the regulatory regime following the Hindenburg-Adani row.

When pointed out that the Opposition accuses the government of keeping all agencies under its control, Shah said, “Then people should go to court. Even on the Pegasus issue, I said if you have facts go to court. They didn’t. The court is not under our control. Those who went got SC to take cognizance and an inquiry was also conducted.”

On parliamentary discourse on the Adani row where the Opposition disrupted Parliament during the prime minister’s speech, Shah said people across the country were watching it and that the House has to be run according to rules. On one nation one election, he said the time is right to do it, but said it will need discussions and deliberations.

From G20 to Mughals

When pointed out that BJP appeared to be using the G20 summit for domestic politics, Shah said, “Why shouldn’t G20 be used for domestic politics? If G20 has come to the country during Modiji’s time and it is completed with success, then Modiji must get credit. Should the Opposition get it? The way he has organised it, the entire world is stunned. In no country, G20 meetings have gone beyond four-five cities. We have given an opportunity to every state. This is a great achievement. Now, the world will go back with the message of India’s diversity.”

The Union home minister also reacted to allegations of the BJP trying to omit the Mughal history of India. Shah said, “We have no intention of obliterating the contribution of the Mughals. But if someone wants to re-establish the longstanding tradition of this country, I do not think anyone should have a problem. All the names of cities that we have changed already had an old name. It is the legal right of every government.”

On Bharat Jodo Yatra changing the image of Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, “I don’t think the people of the country believe so.”

Shah accepted there were second-generation and third-generation politicians in the BJP as well but said unlike other parties there was no system in the BJP that the party president will be from only one family.

Assembly polls

Shah said the BJP is going to win the upcoming Assembly elections in all the states—Tripura, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh—with a full majority. “We will give our best performance in Tripura this time. The fact that all parties are getting together to defeat us shows how strong we are. This boosts our confidence,” he said.

Arguing that the BJP government had worked for the welfare of the people, the home minister emphasised that the government’s crackdown on drug trade along the India-Bangladesh border had been well received by the people.

He also said the BJP had ended violence in Tripura and it was time to work for the state’s prosperity. On Biplab Deb’s removal as the Tripura chief minister midway through his tenure, Shah said he was removed to utilise him better. “People keep coming to the Centre from the states. He has been made a member of the Rajya Sabha and made in charge of an important state like Haryana. He is also a Union minister. He is contributing both at the Centre and assisting the Manik Saha government. This is a promotion.”

He dismissed the role of the tribal outfit Tipra Motha in the polls saying that BJP was winning with a full majority.

He said the government had worked hard to bring peace and prosperity to the Northeast. He spoke about all the peace agreements signed with erstwhile insurgent groups and the settlement of issues affecting Bru and Reang refugees. He spoke about the number of airports developed in the Northeast and how PM Modi had visited 51 times in his tenure.

In the context of the Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly polls, Shah said the BJP was committed to protecting the cultural identity of the states and the various communities within them. He said the nine years of the Modi government had dispelled fears of homogenisation and that education was being imparted in local languages and local dialects were also being promoted.

“People keep talking about development carried out by the Narendra Modi government in the Northeast. But the biggest achievement of Narendrabhai is bridging the gap between the hearts of mainland India and the Northeast,” Shah said.

On the failure of the government to achieve the Naga Peace Accord despite a framework agreement being signed in 2015, Shah said, “What is an accord for? It is to stop the violence. There is a ceasefire in place. And discussions are on.”

In the context of the upcoming Karnataka elections, Shah said the Congress had “tried to end cases against the PFI (Popular Front of India)”. “We have banned them. I believe the PFI was an organisation engaged in radicalisation and conversion. They were preparing raw materials for terrorism. We have found so many documents that show their activities were not good for the unity and integrity of the country,” he said.

“There was a time when the PFI was just a Karnataka and Kerala problem. Around the time of the ban, it had spread its tentacles across the country. Then we received such information from agencies where any delay was not suitable. We have risen above vote bank politics and cracked down on them.”