‘I’ve always fought losing battles, the spirit matters’

You will be remembered as someone who played spoiler to a consensus candidate who was accepted by all but the Left. — Amit KumarDr Sehg...

You will be remembered as someone who played spoiler to a consensus candidate who was accepted by all but the Left. — Amit Kumar

Dr Sehgal: The Left too was in favour of a consensus, but it was sabotaged by people working behind the scenes, people like Mulayam Singh Yadav. And it’s not just the Left that is supporting me, so are parties like Janata Dal (S).

What is your stand on the uniform civil code, on corruption? — Kumar Jetley

PRAVEEN TOGADIA

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Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s international general secretary Praveen Togadia has emerged as one of the frontline leaders of the Ayodhya temple construction movement which, after a decade in cold storage, was given a new lease of life with the mobilisation earlier this year.
Togadia’ utterances, which reflect the hardline views within the Hindutva combine, are a source of nervousness for those in the BJP, who fear the NDA may come unstuck if the temple movement is revived. Post Godhra, there has been no letting up in rhetoric.
Two big headaches for the BJP and the government: the Marg Darshak Mandal in Haridwar this weekend and the VHP’s insistence that the Jagannath rath yatra be taken out in Ahmedabad next month.
Readers can fire questions to Praveen Togadia. His replies will be published here next week.
E-mail your queries to yourvoiceexpressindia.com
Or write to:
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Dr Sehgal: On uniform civil code, we will follow the process of dialogue, taking everyone’s views so that nobody gets upset. We feel very strongly about corruption. Its rise and rise is making it difficult for ordinary citizens to survive.

A true soldier knows when to fight and when to retreat. The numbers game is against you, your age is against you. Why contest the presidential elections? — Sudhir K Bhave

Dr Sehgal: I have always fought losing battles. It was the same in the Indian National Army, but we did leave a mark. It is the spirit that matters—of not giving up without a fight.

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There are many who feel that the Left parties are opposing Dr Kalam for the sake of it. Isn’t the Left simply using you to prove its point? — Anand Diwakar

Don’t you feel that you are being made a scapegoat by the Leftists to fulfil their political ends? — Sharad Kumar

Dr Sehgal: We are not against Dr Kalam. He’s a great scientist, we respect him. Our fight is with the party—the BJP and the NDA—that has proposed his candidature. Poor Dr Kalam is only a stooge in their hands. It was clear even from his press conference that he is only going to say what his mentors want him to.

Being chosen is a great honour for me. At last, an Indian woman who has been chosen as a candidate for the highest post in the country. I am a representative of the weaker sections, the minorities, the poor. I don’t see myself as a scapegoat at all. I will at least get a chance to put forth my ideology and principles.