A rare encounter with Advani !

I don’t want to brand myself as Congressmen, but nobody is ending my long honeymoon with the congress. I like the idea of strong national political parties, as it allows the one in the government to be critical of its own performance. BJP emerged challenging congress but never championed the right cause to engage people consistently. L.K.Advani seems to have taken the back stage and the current ideological fight in BJP is needed for their betterment. Yashwant Sinha commented, since we have lost the election, our acts are being criticized. Mr. Kulkarni who is a strategist for BJP even on the day of counting commented- don’t be overtly impressed by the result in the south, north will be favoring BJP. After the debacle he gleefully raised the ‘hindutva’ issue. Rajnath Singh is using his administrative skills to keep the party together and be less influenced by media. For him hindutva is his guiding principle. Arun Jaitley is witnessing India losing on the cricket field. I don’t know if that holiday helped him!

I don’t see the silver lining for BJP, I want to interview Advani once before he retires and only if I get hired! He has to retire to disassociate himself with BJP political styles.

Chandan- Welcome sir, how have you been taking the defeat?
Advani- there was some terrestrial changes, my stars supported congress…but this happens in politics, BJP will just get better.

C- We will come to BJP later, tell me how it has affected you seeing your party members resigning from the posts?
A- Yashwant ji is a dear friend of mine and I wish we resolve the differences.

C- Your party did not even make an effort to convince him? Was he not fit for the post? But, BJP in Karnataka is doing well…
A- He is a very competent person, he has shown that over the number of years. Party makes a common decision, I think it was his personal decision to quit and not party’s.

C- Who will take the accountability for the defeat? Arun Jaitley and Mr. Kulkarni are not happy with the hard line hindutva, defeat must also be a realization…
A- It was the party’s decision to campaign, they surely contributed and did not work. We don’t follow hard line hindutva…

C- We will come to hindutva later, but what happened to the Obama’s style of reaching masses by BJP?
A- It did not work for me, I am not Obama.

C- Its not only about the use of technology but the trust factor that is important, Obama won the trust by highlighting what America wanted…
A- We know we have our supporters, Congress won because of their alliances and some good tactics. One electoral defeat should not be categorized as the end of BJP

C- I never said this is the end of BJP, what is tolerant hindutva that the party claims will follow. You said your party doesn’t believe in hard core hindutva then why tolerant hindutva?
A- I repeat we don’t follow hard core hindutva, we respect the young India who wants a nation growing forward not on communal lines. We don’t support communal disintegration of India….

Cutting him short…

C- Your party never speaks in favor of Christians and muslims as you do for hindus. Your party never celbrates Christmas and Id as you celebrate hindu festivals? Don’t you think this is not secular as claimed?
A- We have muslim leaders in our party and also Christians and we do celebrate and greet each other on every festival….

Cutting him short again…

C- Sir, I m not only talking about festivals, celebrate them and fight for their causes instead your party is accused of killing and raping them…
A- It is sad that such incidents have occurred and we condemn it fully. We would like to emerge as an alternative to congress and yes we have to be responsible and serve the country.

C- Let’s hope that you serve other communities too, coming to ideologies, Integral humanism, gandhi’s socialism or hindutva. Which one do you think will impress the youth to support BJP?
A- I think all three, we are a party since independence. We represent the majority of the sentiments of the majority of nation i.e. hindus and our practices are based on equality and justice for all.

C- You definitely do not represent the majority. Your party has lost the election. Your strength in 1999 was also coalition form of govt.
A- Coalition is important in a country like India. Coalition is a result of social injustice present under congress era. We were a coalition and with coalition we will do better

C- With congress expanding their reach, and almost forming the govt. on their own, what will be your tactics for the future?
A- There has been a shift of our support base and we will be careful in supporting the cause. Also internal party democracy and organizational skills are important. After budget we will be able to tell you our plan of action.

C- Finally, what about Varun Gandhi, tapes are not doctored as recently proved, what if court decides against varun?
A- We will respect the court and make informed decision.

I am sure if Advani is interviewed, he will more or less not deviate from hindutva issue as he himself grew as a leader presenting the need of hindutva. Instead BJP waiting for anti-incumbency factor to creep for congress, they have to touch the lives of people by working for social injustice apparent in India. My hunch feeling is that, BJP does not need Advani, there has to be organizational integration. Advani seems to be changing as this probably was his last opportunity to become a PM. Immediate ploy to change BJP’s image is to make it possible to implement Women’s reservation bill. I hope they do this and allow youth to participate in political circus.