Former Jammu and Kashmir leader minister and Congress rebellion Ghulam Nabi Azad`s memoir, titled `Azaad`, files politics over the last 5 decades. Providing a ringside view to the corridors of power, Azad is vital of his former birthday birthday celebration in his memoir, describing its behaviour as “bloopers and bombast”. In a verbal exchange with Sunetra Choudhury, he argued that whilst senior BJP leaders would really like to look opposition from a sturdy Congress birthday birthday celebration, the latter isn`t doing enough. Azad, who’s visible to be near PM Narendra Modi, additionally spoke approximately the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Edited excerpts:
Do you take into account your self an competition leader?
I don`t assume I actually have reached that degree due to the fact I should win a few seats first withinside the country to assert to be withinside the competition. I can say my voice might be absolutely neutral. I will now no longer paintings on preconceived things. I will name a spade, a spade. Whatever is true, I will admire. Whatever is bad, I will oppose. Whatever is withinside the hobby of the country, I should admire as a countryman, and anything isn’t withinside the hobby of the country, I will genuinely oppose, whosoever she or he can be, which political birthday birthday celebration, no matter what their ideology can be.
Does that make you some thing like what the YSR Congress Party and Naveen Patnaik`s Biju Janata Dal are? Everybody else other than those events is vital of the BJP.
I assume it can not be as compared with any of them. My thoughts aren’t regimented. My thoughts are absolutely open. I am absolutely independent. That`s why my remaining call is Azad (free). My birthday birthday celebration is likewise named Azad and my ee-e book is likewise `Azaad`. I don`t need contrary events to be referred to as as enemies. We are simply competitors.
You reward Narendra Modi however additionally factor out he didn`t communicate approximately his overseas journeys interior Parliament…
He became usually very friendly. As Prime Minister, to a few extent, I should say, anything his belief outdoor can be, isn’t the same. I assume he`s large minded in that sense. I by no means attended his reliable function, I by no means spared him at the ground of the House. Yet he became so beneficiant in praising me. I assume this every person can not do. And I observed a few similarity in him with AB Vajpayee.
So, in line with you, Modi is a great Prime Minister?
I could say so. I am no person to provide judgment however my private revel in is that every time he could meet me withinside the lobby, he by no means stated that Congress need to be finished. In fact, he stated that an trade countrywide birthday birthday celebration need to exist. He could say how lengthy can we retain and also you human beings aren’t doing enough. I`m quoting this for the primary time and I assume that became the opinion of maximum of the BJP leaders who’re senior there. Senior leaders need that Congress, which has a history, need to additionally continue to exist and emerge as a competitor. But Congress itself isn’t prepared to just accept that. How are we able to blame others?
We simply noticed Rahul Gandhi getting disqualified and he has been requested to vacate his residence.
I don`t approve of that. That`s now no longer an excellent factor in democracy. That isn’t an excellent idea. Moreover, he need to accept a residence from a protection perspective. Because with Z-plus protection, one isn’t imagined to be in a crowded area. The authorities may also take the money, however the protection need to be done.
In your birthday birthday celebration, there are individuals who allege that due to the fact you`ve emerge as near the BJP, you`re allowed to live on in authorities lodging years after retirement.
I pay each month. I pay rent, I pay water bills, I pay electricity. If I take the residence in a few crowded area, human beings will realize there’s a gentle target. We Kashmiris have extra threat.
Regarding Kashmir, I need to return back to the episode you describe to your ee-e book approximately what occurred submit the abrogation of Article 370. You stated which you right away went and sat on a dharna in Rajya Sabha however human beings like Jairam Ramesh, your colleague, didn`t. What occurred?
I don`t assume he concept it fit. Perhaps he became withinside the favour of the abrogation of Article 370. Everybody stated that he remained in his seat.
So Article 370 trouble continues to be one thing which you have in opposition to the BJP?
No. There can be different problems. Any rule or any political birthday birthday celebration who’s in power, you can`t say that they may be doing the whole lot true, however you can`t additionally say that they may be doing the whole lot bad. And it’s miles with every political birthday birthday celebration in authorities. The true and bad, they pass together.
