For the last few months,the talk has been about BJP ka Congressikaran (BJP donning Congress colours) in Chhattisgarh. Karuna Shukla and several other leaders have left. Do you see a trend? The BJP has now become equivalent to or an even bigger party than the Congress. Some persons will obviously come in and leave. It has been happening in any political party,but to a lesser extent in the BJP. The BJP is more disciplined. Congress and Communist parties are among the two old parties. They have undergone a vertical division three,four times. But ever since we began our political journey in 1951 as Jan Sangh,we have never faced any vertical division. The arrival or departure of a few persons does not change the basic character of the BJP. But hasnt this tendency recently increased in Chhattisgarh? No. Not at all. You spoke of basic character. The BJP of 1990,the BJP of 2013,how has it evolved? It has improved. So,your right-wing stance has softened,been nuanced? We never considered ourselves right-wing; the media thought us so. I wont be able to respond to this,but I can say the BJPs base has increased. Where does the Ram Mandir issue stand on your agenda? We dont consider Ram Mandir an election issue. Yes,we believe it is a national issue,a cultural issue. We also believe it should be resolved. The Allahabad High Court gave a judgment that the temple should be constructed where the Ram Lala idol stands. But some persons have appealed in the Supreme Court. I feel we should wait for the judgment. In this context,what does the despatch of Amit Shah,who has such a hardliner image,to Uttar Pradesh symbolise? Its my decision. The media spread the word that it was Modi. He is not a hardliner. Anyone can create an image,why should he be punished for it? And dont think that since I am talking to the press,I will lie. This is the ground reality. He is my choice. Ive seen him supervising elections in Gujarat. He was polite and decent. I saw organisational skills in him. He faces serious charges. I cannot accept that any senior leader of ours will be hinsak pravritti (of a violent nature). People have levelled accusations against Modiji also. See the latest accusation. If someones father. if a person is being harassed by someone and if a member of his family has links with the head of the state or if he expects that the state government will provide them protection and then if he appeals,writes a letter to him. then isnt it the moral responsibility of the government to provide protection? What crime has Modi committed? Protection is another matter. That woman and her movements were illegally snooped on. Her father gave a statement. Shouldnt we have done that (given protection)? Second,there is a conspiracy. The tape was with IPS officer Singhal. He gave it to the CBI. How did it then reach Cobrapost? They are targeting (Modi),and will do in future also. Citizens have learnt that the Congress is in depression and can do anything. The way you have projected Modi as the PM candidate,and he is your prime campaigner these elections,should we consider these assembly polls are a test for him? No,I dont think so. The issues are different in local body polls,assembly elections,Lok Sabha elections. So,if your party is unable to win,say,three states this time,will you take it as a comment on him? Not at all. We will win all four. There is no question of taking it (that way). Would you agree that Modi is a polarised and divisive figure? People either like him or strongly oppose him; there is no middle space. No. I dont think so. Go close to him and watch him. He is a very good and kind human. My question was about the public opinion about him. If that (being divisive) were the case,look at the minorities in Gujarat. Their per capita income is more than that of the minorities of any other state. Had he been a divisive figure. today some 70-80 corporators in Gujarat are from the Muslim community. Shouldnt Modi,as a chief minister who is now also a PM candidate,have apologised once for 2002? But why? What wrong has he committed? He has conceded that it was sad. But it was happening under him. One can apologise only when one has committed any mistake. It was not the first instance that this country saw riots. Assam saw riots in 1969; 5,000 persons were killed in just three,four days. Did the chief minister then apologise? What do have to say about Modis language? Khooni panja,Shehzade and Madam,and now the attack on Ajit Jogi with an analogy to an ugly woman with a problem in the limbs. He did not say any of this himself. As far as I know,he only narrated a story. Ive not listened to it. (At a press conference earlier,Rajnath had evaded a reply to the attack on Jogi,saying he would comment only when he had listened to the speech) But such comments on Jogi? Why do you connect it with Jogi? There can be a different perspective. Do you miss Atal Bihari Vajpayee,whom voters remember as the only one to have pulled the NDA along? Several allies have left you. How do you compare Modi with Vajpayee? Of course,we miss him. Comparisons should not be made and they are not appropriate either. Let people say,many parties are still with us. Why has the BJP been debating history with the Congress? The Congress has no history. They even rejected Mahatma Gandhi,did not fulfil his wishes. The Congress organisation was created to fight for independence. Otherwise,when it was created in 1885 by AO Hume it had a different purpose. Immediately after independence,Mahatma Gandhi expressed a desire that Congress should be disbanded. They only took Gandhis name,but did not fulfil his task. They ruled for 50 years,yet didnt care for villages. They damaged the panchayati system,everything. Nothing remains now,they centralised everything.
