By evening, Sushma Swaraj knows she will most probably get to keep her hair intact. But she’s still not giving up.Bracing herself to a diet of roasted grams and water—she has the sense of humour to admit that this diet is good for diabetics—Swaraj dismisses as speculation the report that Sonia Gandhi has declined to accept the Prime Minister’s job.When she’s told that yes, she has, Swaraj says: ‘‘What I saw today was a roadshow mounted by the Congress on public service broadcaster Doordarshan. Is DD a sarkari channel? I will protest until the name of an Indian leader is proposed. Only after that, will I break my vow. Until then, I will lead the life of a bhikshuni.’’Her 8 Safdarjung Lane bungalow is deserted. Her OSD at AIIMS, Girija Puri, arrives in a black Mercedes with her husband to express solidarity. Fifteen minutes later, the first batch of faithfuls arrive—several of them women from her constituency in Haryana—to the music of Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani.Suddenly, the atmosphere changes. Swaraj asks them to enter their names and addresses in an address book. ‘‘You have all come rallying around me when I was directed by my own voice which said ekla chalo re,’’ says Swaraj.Is she posturing for a position in the party? ‘‘I am not asking anything for myself. All I am saying is what 100 crore people want—an Indian ruler for India. If there is an Indian Prime Minister, then God would have finally answered my prayers,’’ she says, adding dramatically the nation would have been saved from dishonour.‘‘I knew that if I stayed on, I would have been forced to address her as the Prime Minister and her Cabinet colleagues as the Prime Minister’s men.’’Ask her about her intolerance and she says: ‘‘No country in the world can tolerate this. Will Italy accept an Indian as a Prime Minister? Why should India alone be udaar (magnanimous)?’’When she is reminded of those of foreign origin who have made India their home, those who took part in India’s freedom struggle, she says they came for ‘‘duty, not power.’’‘‘Didn’t we award the Bharat Ratna to Mother Teresa who served the sick?’’ Swaraj asks, adding we have accepted putra vadhu Sonia Gandhi. Swaraj says she has no problems to her daughter, currently studying in UK, marrying a foreigner but says, she cannot entertain ideas of becoming a prime minister after that decision.
