MUMBAI, January 16: The recent statement of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray (on the controversy regarding Babri Masjid) suggests that there is a change in the policy of the Sena-BJP combine towards Muslims. What are your views?Certainly there is change in our policy as we are of the view that Muslims should join the mainstream. The massive response to Ijtema held last month near Thackeray's residence, the participation of J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in a Sena function and a high-level meeting of Imams from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh with Thackeray at my residence are pointers to the fact that Muslims have full faith in the alliance Government.As far as Thackeray's statement is concerned, history shows that his views have always been strongly opposed in the initial stage. Subsequently, they have been widely accepted. Now also, I feel that his suggestion regarding the construction of a national monument at the disputed site will find takers.What is your poll plank?We will harp on stability and performance of the Government. In the post-Independence era, probably ours is the only successful alliance Government. It is a classic example of how to run an alliance Government.How do you rate the performance of the Government as regards promises on mass housing scheme, jobs to 27 lakh youth and deportation of illegal foreigners?I frankly admit that there has been only little progress in these areas. Particularly, progress has been slow in the implementation of the mass housing scheme. To gear up work on that front, I changed the Minister as well as the Secretary of the Housing Department. Now I am sure that by the end of our term we will provide more than three lakh flats to slumdwellers and jobs to at least 10 lakh youth. As far as deportation of foreign nationals is concerned, our performance has been much better than the collective performance of the Congress Governments during the last 10 years.Former Police Commissioner RD Tyagi had worked out a comprehensive scheme fordeporting illegal foreigners staying in the metropolis. The scheme envisaged a budgetary provision of Rs 30 lakh. What is the fate of this scheme?I am not aware of any such scheme. However, I will personally speak to Tyagi in this connection. We will not hesitate to make a budgetary provision as suggested by Tyagi.Do you think the ongoing slum demolition drive would adversely affect the prospects of the Sena-BJP in the metropolis?I don't think so. Slumdwellers who have registered before January 1, 1995, are protected by the scheme. Others would have to vacate. Since they haven't been included in the voting list, they won't be able to cause us damage. My Government has decided to deal firmly with encroachers. I do not want Mumbai to be a Dharamshala. We are not in a position to accept the responsibility for all those who land up here.You had promised to eradicate corruption. Now your Government is facing serious charges of corruption over the Sahara issue, while the Irrigation Department is in the dock following detention of a top official. How do you explain this?The Opposition charges are a manifestation of their frustration. For the Opposition, it has become fashionable to level charges of corruption against the Chief Minister. But they have not submitted any evidence. In fact, all Ministers facing charges of corruption have been acquitted by appropriate authorities.As far as the multi-crore Sahara project is concerned, there is no corruption involved in its clearance. Had there been corruption, I would not have ordered demolition of several illegal bungalows. I have already asked Additional Chief Secretary V Rangnathan to probe into the irregularities. The report of the Rangnathan committee will be implemented in toto. And as regards corruption in the Irrigation Department, we have already suspended the Chief Engineer even without waiting for the report of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
