Published On:Saturday 6 August 2011
"Statements I made and the statements I wanted to make," Digvijay Singh
Outlook magazine took an interview of our beloved and one and only in the entire universe Digvijay Singh (Diggy Chacha). However, media shy Diggy had various issues publishing this interview as a whole and he asked the magazine editors to remove some parts as he was not willing to show himself as great. However, on great requests from DCFC, the humble and kind Diggy Chacha allows to publish the entire interview with a condition that we will not take fun out of him in future.
That's wrong information. It's not correct that I am extremely close to him. He has a mind of his own. And first of all don’t call me his guru and mentor it looks cheap, I would like to hear I am his governess which has lots of motherly sense. I only interact with him once in 15 days or a month or two months for political things otherwise we chat on facebook or google talk every day at least thrice. Our discussion is only confined to Uttar Pradesh, not beyond as we are very focused.Statements I made and the statements I wanted to make
That's wrong information. It's not correct that I am extremely close to him. He has a mind of his own. And first of all don’t call me his guru and mentor it looks cheap, I would like to hear I am his governess which has lots of motherly sense. I only interact with him once in 15 days or a month or two months for political things otherwise we chat on facebook or google talk every day at least thrice. Our discussion is only confined to Uttar Pradesh, not beyond as we are very focused.
Why are you always walking into controversy?
I fail to understand why do you say that, I am such a naïve and simple person just put it in Amitabhji’s words I am Aam Admi. Whatever I have said I stand by it (terms and conditions apply) and I have also said everything out of conviction that I had since my birth. I am a born leader and by birth I am intellectual. Even my Dadi used to say that I should get Noble Prize when I was just 5 or 6 years for my peace statements, my economy related knowledge, my contribution to our gully sports and political ideologies. She also said that Diggy arrived and he booked 4 Noble prizes. However, Papa used to say that these small Prizes are nothing, Diggy is god’s gift and he will get prize from the planet Mars and Venus.
Diggy Chacha removed two tears out of his two visionary eyes and continued. I had a habit of talking only truth since my birth only even when I visited this small world (in my last births I was at Jupiter and when I left the whole creation of nature ended) I didn’t cry and said Sachchi Sachchi RSS is the biggest terror organization makes bomb factories. You wouldn’t believe it but this is really true. And in time what I have said has been been proved correct. So if speaking the truth is controversial then I will do it again and again.
The question this raises is: How does Digvijay Singh have the authority to say what he likes?
See, I am not just a small leader for your information, in Gita Krishna said he is the god and I say I make gods on daily basis. See Rahul Baba he is one of my best of creations another some of the ordinary creations are e.g., Manish Tiwari. Krishna also said that if he arrived in this world he has to follow some ideologies some principals so therefore I have never deviated from the Congress ideology. I just follow the Congress line.
Yet you seem to be above the party and some of your colleagues are uneasy with what you say. So do you think your role is to push a line the party is itself uneasy about?
That’s what point I wanted to make I am not above party but I am following the party’s ideology. I myself have the only job to create gods in this demon (RSS and BJP leaders) world. I push and say what is the party line as I understand it. My understanding may be wrong (terms and conditions apply, secretly it’s never wrong). But no one (dared me) has told me the party line is different from what I say.
You recently said that Sonia Gandhi did pull you up for what you had said about Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
Ha ha ha. She only said that Diggyji kitnaa majak udate he aaop. Dekho Chidduji narraj ho gaye n. Unko manaa lijiye nahi to wo Chennai chale jaayenge. That was for a personal remark calling him intellectually arrogant. Not for an ideological line. I have not been pulled up for any ideological position.
A year ago when I interviewed you there was a very clear division in the party between you and Mr Chidambaram. The home minister was pushing a harder line against Maoists and was quite vague on the issue of saffron terror. You advocated a development approach for Maoists and kept harping on the need to investigate saffron terror. Today, the HM has apparently changed tack on both issues and is now in tune with your line on both issues?
Ha ha ha again. He had to come on the line. See, I am the creator and no one dares creator where he faulted. Now he realized his mistake and is improving. Isn't that a good sign (smiles). We have been opposing these extremists’ elements in both the Hindu and Muslim communities from the beginning. The Congress is a liberal party and I am the most democratic one. Do you know, even I don’t consider myself as a human being but a strangest creature in the Universe. We have been fighting fundamentalists even before independence when we fought the Muslim League on one side and the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha on the other side. However, our ideology is to be kind as well and therefore Muslim League got Pakistan and money and RSS got big brother like us.
Have you ever regretted the statements you have made that stir controversies. Or the timing of your statements such as the one after the recent Bombay blasts?
Regretted? B…S… (and few more Italian words hard to spell out). See I am the world’s most intelligent creature (Gartner said more intelligent than Jadoo). I can’t be regretted. And have you carefully seen what I actually said? When you are asked do you think RSS is also involved in this I said I don't know but at the moment you can't rule out any possibility. I just indicated and not made any direct statement because I didn’t want to take a credit. And see if tomorrow it comes out that RSS was involved I myself promise you that I will come in front of media and will say that last time only I said the same thing and nobody believed it.
Then I am asked do you have any evidence of RSS involvement. I say not in this case but there are six other cases where I have evidence of involvement of Sangh activists. This was another indication that now my private intelligence bureau (DCPIB) has assigned the work and it will go to the roots.
There seem to be a pattern. You say something, it becomes controversial, you clarify.
For instance this byte was given to a channel but the Indian Express reported that I have said RSS is involved. What can I say if the media does this? I am such naïve and ordinary guy (terms and conditions apply). Even that hopeless Diggy Chacha Fan Club (DCFC), it will make fun out of this simple and sober interview.
But you say things that are different from the spokespersons of the party...
Who told you? Is it Tiwari or Sibal? Let them come in front of me. They always use to be sweet. However, in front of media that they have to make such statements otherwise who dares. The spokespersons did not say that I was wrong.
Besides the Chidambaran remark has there been any other occasion where Mrs Gandhi has told you off?
Not not at all. I have not been scolded for anything else I have said (laughs). It’s just her motherly nature that she asked me to say sorry otherwise why she will tell me to say sorry to RSS or BJP kind of people.
You have often said that Rahul Gandhi is the PM candidate.
He is my creation therefore he has the capacity, the ability and the political instinct to become a good PM. I have been saying this for many years and therefore I told Madamji to assign the work and I took political sanyaas for 10 years for Baba’s Gurukul. But Madamji told me to say like this that there is no vacancy at the moment; Manmohan Singh is doing quite well and Indian political scenario is also not good. Let Manuji face the fire. And at the same time I don't think Rahul Baba is ready himself. After the situation will be fine by 2-3 years he will be the candidate and Manuji will take retirement.
Before we come to Rahul as PM, you face a critical election in UP. Why can't Rahul be the chief ministerial candidate? After all that is one way the party could give a fight to Mayawati and revive in the state...
What a hopeless question! I am a universal leader and I don’t make state level leaders. If Madamji assigned me a work to nourish Rahul Baba then it was because she wants to make him a national leader. Rahul Baba is not the leader of a state, he is a national leader. UP is his home state and he is extremely sensitive to the conditions there. I only told him to be sensitive. And he has a dream for UP which I will not disclose right now.
But the Congress party organisation is very weak so isn't there an argument for projecting him against Mayawati?
The Congress never projects a chief minister. We leave the decision to elected MLAs. We are the most democratic party in the world. But have no doubt that Rahul Baba will be leading the campaign but he will not be projected as the chief minister of one state.
The Land Acquisition issue is big for Rahul. Is he happy with the draft that the government has presented?
He has certain ideas (?) and most of his ideas have been incorporated (god can only save us and farmers) in the present draft so let us see.
So will Rahul's agitation against land acquisition be put on hold?
The agitation was against the way it was done in UP. Farmers had been given thousand rupees per square metre and Mayawati had collected Rs 4000 to 10000 per sq mtr as a bribe. If some of that had been given to farmers there would have been no agitation. And now Supreme Court has done away with those acquisitions so now I think Mayawati should compensate the builders. Either give this money to the builders or to the farmers so that the poor flat owners who have lost out because of this are compensated. Therefore, for the time being I told him to keep quiet.
What is your view of the Lokpal agitation now?
First Anna Hazare and his team must realise that he is nothing in front of me and he should understand that I am the greatest creature in the universe so stop treating me like stupid and say I should be put into mental asylum. And now he should also realize that we have a constitution and a parliament. That right (of MPs) cannot be taken away by self appointed five people. They have a right to put their point across and they should be grateful to the government of India that they were put in a drafting committee as Congress party is the most democratic party in the world. That's something that has never been done before and it is unprecedented, Sibal also said same thing, however, he copied it from my speech only but I forgave him. Now it is the right of the parliament to enact a law, ha this is not my order to parliament and is only a personal view. They can put their point across to a standing committee even now. Let the parliament decide if PM and judiciary have to be brought into the ambit.
Do you think politicians are unfairly in jail on corruption charges. You have expressed sympathy for some?
What I'm saying is that the principle of jurisprudence is that innocent till proved guilty even Afzal Guru saab aur Kasaabji were not guilty. They just opposed saffron terror and are still in the jail. This media trial should be avoided. The second issue is once investigation is over and chargesheet framed and presented in court what is the need to keep such persons in jail even we can make provisions that they can get an alternative to stay at jail or home. Now if few people like Suresh Kalmadi and Kanimozhi don’t like a stay at jail they should be allowed to go home. See Kanimozhi is getting Chhole Bhature while she likes sambaar paav.
What do you think is going on with the Apex court?
I would not like to comment on judiciary it’s a very small thing. But I think the judiciary must consider granting bail to these people otherwise nobody dare go against me.
What about Muslim boys who are picked up after each blast. I found there are no all India figures, no human rights report, no survey by the government, on what happens to them. What about bail or release for them?
Please do a research on how many convictions there have been for bomb blasts and terrorism in last ten years hardly 1 or two so why do you require such a kind of data. Ha but I would say for RSS people we should have some figures as there are millions and I will protest against human rights organization for not recording such data. I think you will find that mostly the people who are picked up are not convicted. Why doesn't Outlook give you this task of research of putting together the figure of boys arrested and hardly any convictions.
Is there a mentor or a role model you follow?
Arjun Singhji was my mentor and role model. I have learnt a lot from him. I want to walk on his footsteps. Next time when I will become a minority and education minister, I will stop upper castes and Brahmins from taking education. It will be 100% reservation. And then off course Rajiv Gandhi gave me an opportunity to become Pradesh Congress President at the age of 30. And (chuckling), now I am his son Rahul Baba’s role model.
Some people say you are the most important "Muslim" leader in the Congress.
I am not a leader of any community, I also lead Christians, Buddhists and Dalits. I am basically a modern liberal who has taken it upon himself to fight fundamentalism of all colours and I want to scrap the oldest religion of the world. We can't hand over our future generation to mad people like this--please notice that the Norwegian killer Breivik has praised Hindu fundamentalists.
But do you think the way you articulate some points does not appeal to the upwardly mobile Indian who does not like to get into this communal identity issue.
Unfortunately, people from this kind of community don’t take me seriously. This young mobile youth is not aware of the evils of fundamentalism. They have to be educated and informed. Look what has happened to Pakistan. Zia ul Haq brought fundamentalist elements into the system and today see what is happening there, the liberals and democrats can do nothing to stop the tide of fundamentalism. Would any of our young generation like to see India going the Pakistan way? It is frightening that people like Colonel Purohit infiltrated the army and could plan to manufacture and plant bombs to disturb communal harmony in this country. And they were closely aligned to the Sangh ideology that I would blame.
Would you like to ban the RSS?
No no. The minute you ban one organisation they become another organization, isn’t it funny? See the LeT is banned but Hafez Sayed has set up another organisation. That is why I believe it is necessary to hit hard at all writing, speeches and actions that promote fanatic religious thought. Look at Subramaniam Swamy's article in DNA, what was crap that was? Nobody has fundamental right to speak instead of me. How dared he talk that way? Did you know that article was written by me only and it was theft from my house. Next day it got published and shocking this guy removed hindu words and put muslims just like Amir Khan did in 3idiots while putting balatkar instead of chamatkar. I think it is seditious and the government must intervene on this. I think the proposed communal violence bill must take into account all such speeches and writings and make it a criminal offence.
Do you think this is the right time for the communal violence bill?
Absolutely the right time, otherwise BJP will win next elections. We need stronger laws (don’t dare make mistake about Lokpal Bill) against people who disturb communal harmony. But then again in the communal violence bill let us not only give one group the protection. In a communal clash by one group on the other whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian, all have to get equal protection under the law. You can't only target one majority community. You cannot exclude any communal group from protection in this bill. In any case, I don’t want to see BJP be the next winner. And I am advising to add one more provision to strip out the rights of Hindus and upper communities for voting in the elections.
The current draft prepared by the NAC proposes special protection for minorities, both religious and linguistic.
That is not adequate. For example if there is one cluster that is Muslim dominated and they attack a smaller Hindu cluster, that should also be covered in the communal violence bill. I am the most secular person in the universe.
But the argument is that historically the police have been anti minorities
The police just have to be punished if they act on communal lines. But you cannot exclude the majority community from protection again (chuckling) I am the most secular person in the world. I have put my point across to some people involved in drafting the bill and I will put it across in the party also and I am going to put my point across to Madamji also. What is most important I think is the poisoning of the mind of children and youth by educational institutions where communal thoughts begin. I think the bill should look at hate speech, syllabus, writings rather than taking action post communal clashes. Prevention is always better than cure.
You recently called the BJP a party of nachaniyas (dancing girls).
(Laughs) No no. The point I wanted to make is that Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi is no place for people to go and dance just go home and do whatever but at Samadhi it looks cheap. the BJP may be very happy with the people of that ideology who claimed Gandhiji's life but at the same time it is no place to behave that way that what I wanted to say. They were also agitating that day against the police action on Baba Ramdev's followers. So what was there to be so happy and start dancing there? See there is nothing funnier than me.
Are you trying for a tie-up with Ajit Singh's party in UP?
My brief is we can't have any alliance with SP, BSP or BJP. Other than that if any junk thing left the alliance is possible.
After the UP polls, what will Digvijay Singh do next?
In 2013 November I complete 10 years of my oath that I will not contest any election. After that if the party wants me to contest, Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha I will whatever Madamji decides.
Would you then join any future government?
My preference is to work in the party if I am given a choice I would like to continue to be Baba’s mentor.
When will Rahul be ready?
That's for him to decide.
Do you have any clues since you are supposed to be close to him?
Outlook magazine took an interview of our beloved and one and only in the entire universe Digvijay Singh (Diggy Chacha). However, media shy Diggy had various issues publishing this interview as a whole and he asked the magazine editors to remove some parts as he was not willing to show himself as great. However, on great requests from DCFC, the humble and kind Diggy Chacha allows to publish the entire interview with a condition that we will not take fun out of him in future.
Why are you always walking into controversy?
I fail to understand why do you say that, I am such a naïve and simple person just put it in Amitabhji’s words I am Aam Admi. Whatever I have said I stand by it (terms and conditions apply) and I have also said everything out of conviction that I had since my birth. I am a born leader and by birth I am intellectual. Even my Dadi used to say that I should get Noble Prize when I was just 5 or 6 years for my peace statements, my economy related knowledge, my contribution to our gully sports and political ideologies. She also said that Diggy arrived and he booked 4 Noble prizes. However, Papa used to say that these small Prizes are nothing, Diggy is god’s gift and he will get prize from the planet Mars and Venus.
Diggy Chacha removed two tears out of his two visionary eyes and continued. I had a habit of talking only truth since my birth only even when I visited this small world (in my last births I was at Jupiter and when I left the whole creation of nature ended) I didn’t cry and said Sachchi Sachchi RSS is the biggest terror organization makes bomb factories. You wouldn’t believe it but this is really true. And in time what I have said has been been proved correct. So if speaking the truth is controversial then I will do it again and again.
The question this raises is: How does Digvijay Singh have the authority to say what he likes?
See, I am not just a small leader for your information, in Gita Krishna said he is the god and I say I make gods on daily basis. See Rahul Baba he is one of my best of creations another some of the ordinary creations are e.g., Manish Tiwari. Krishna also said that if he arrived in this world he has to follow some ideologies some principals so therefore I have never deviated from the Congress ideology. I just follow the Congress line.
Yet you seem to be above the party and some of your colleagues are uneasy with what you say. So do you think your role is to push a line the party is itself uneasy about?
That’s what point I wanted to make I am not above party but I am following the party’s ideology. I myself have the only job to create gods in this demon (RSS and BJP leaders) world. I push and say what is the party line as I understand it. My understanding may be wrong (terms and conditions apply, secretly it’s never wrong). But no one (dared me) has told me the party line is different from what I say.
You recently said that Sonia Gandhi did pull you up for what you had said about Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
Ha ha ha. She only said that Diggyji kitnaa majak udate he aaop. Dekho Chidduji narraj ho gaye n. Unko manaa lijiye nahi to wo Chennai chale jaayenge. That was for a personal remark calling him intellectually arrogant. Not for an ideological line. I have not been pulled up for any ideological position.
A year ago when I interviewed you there was a very clear division in the party between you and Mr Chidambaram. The home minister was pushing a harder line against Maoists and was quite vague on the issue of saffron terror. You advocated a development approach for Maoists and kept harping on the need to investigate saffron terror. Today, the HM has apparently changed tack on both issues and is now in tune with your line on both issues?
Ha ha ha again. He had to come on the line. See, I am the creator and no one dares creator where he faulted. Now he realized his mistake and is improving. Isn't that a good sign (smiles). We have been opposing these extremists’ elements in both the Hindu and Muslim communities from the beginning. The Congress is a liberal party and I am the most democratic one. Do you know, even I don’t consider myself as a human being but a strangest creature in the Universe. We have been fighting fundamentalists even before independence when we fought the Muslim League on one side and the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha on the other side. However, our ideology is to be kind as well and therefore Muslim League got Pakistan and money and RSS got big brother like us.
Have you ever regretted the statements you have made that stir controversies. Or the timing of your statements such as the one after the recent Bombay blasts?
Regretted? B…S… (and few more Italian words hard to spell out). See I am the world’s most intelligent creature (Gartner said more intelligent than Jadoo). I can’t be regretted. And have you carefully seen what I actually said? When you are asked do you think RSS is also involved in this I said I don't know but at the moment you can't rule out any possibility. I just indicated and not made any direct statement because I didn’t want to take a credit. And see if tomorrow it comes out that RSS was involved I myself promise you that I will come in front of media and will say that last time only I said the same thing and nobody believed it.
Then I am asked do you have any evidence of RSS involvement. I say not in this case but there are six other cases where I have evidence of involvement of Sangh activists. This was another indication that now my private intelligence bureau (DCPIB) has assigned the work and it will go to the roots.
There seem to be a pattern. You say something, it becomes controversial, you clarify.
For instance this byte was given to a channel but the Indian Express reported that I have said RSS is involved. What can I say if the media does this? I am such naïve and ordinary guy (terms and conditions apply). Even that hopeless Diggy Chacha Fan Club (DCFC), it will make fun out of this simple and sober interview.
But you say things that are different from the spokespersons of the party...
Who told you? Is it Tiwari or Sibal? Let them come in front of me. They always use to be sweet. However, in front of media that they have to make such statements otherwise who dares. The spokespersons did not say that I was wrong.
Besides the Chidambaran remark has there been any other occasion where Mrs Gandhi has told you off?
Not not at all. I have not been scolded for anything else I have said (laughs). It’s just her motherly nature that she asked me to say sorry otherwise why she will tell me to say sorry to RSS or BJP kind of people.
You have often said that Rahul Gandhi is the PM candidate.
He is my creation therefore he has the capacity, the ability and the political instinct to become a good PM. I have been saying this for many years and therefore I told Madamji to assign the work and I took political sanyaas for 10 years for Baba’s Gurukul. But Madamji told me to say like this that there is no vacancy at the moment; Manmohan Singh is doing quite well and Indian political scenario is also not good. Let Manuji face the fire. And at the same time I don't think Rahul Baba is ready himself. After the situation will be fine by 2-3 years he will be the candidate and Manuji will take retirement.
Before we come to Rahul as PM, you face a critical election in UP. Why can't Rahul be the chief ministerial candidate? After all that is one way the party could give a fight to Mayawati and revive in the state...
What a hopeless question! I am a universal leader and I don’t make state level leaders. If Madamji assigned me a work to nourish Rahul Baba then it was because she wants to make him a national leader. Rahul Baba is not the leader of a state, he is a national leader. UP is his home state and he is extremely sensitive to the conditions there. I only told him to be sensitive. And he has a dream for UP which I will not disclose right now.
But the Congress party organisation is very weak so isn't there an argument for projecting him against Mayawati?
The Congress never projects a chief minister. We leave the decision to elected MLAs. We are the most democratic party in the world. But have no doubt that Rahul Baba will be leading the campaign but he will not be projected as the chief minister of one state.
The Land Acquisition issue is big for Rahul. Is he happy with the draft that the government has presented?
He has certain ideas (?) and most of his ideas have been incorporated (god can only save us and farmers) in the present draft so let us see.
So will Rahul's agitation against land acquisition be put on hold?
The agitation was against the way it was done in UP. Farmers had been given thousand rupees per square metre and Mayawati had collected Rs 4000 to 10000 per sq mtr as a bribe. If some of that had been given to farmers there would have been no agitation. And now Supreme Court has done away with those acquisitions so now I think Mayawati should compensate the builders. Either give this money to the builders or to the farmers so that the poor flat owners who have lost out because of this are compensated. Therefore, for the time being I told him to keep quiet.
What is your view of the Lokpal agitation now?
First Anna Hazare and his team must realise that he is nothing in front of me and he should understand that I am the greatest creature in the universe so stop treating me like stupid and say I should be put into mental asylum. And now he should also realize that we have a constitution and a parliament. That right (of MPs) cannot be taken away by self appointed five people. They have a right to put their point across and they should be grateful to the government of India that they were put in a drafting committee as Congress party is the most democratic party in the world. That's something that has never been done before and it is unprecedented, Sibal also said same thing, however, he copied it from my speech only but I forgave him. Now it is the right of the parliament to enact a law, ha this is not my order to parliament and is only a personal view. They can put their point across to a standing committee even now. Let the parliament decide if PM and judiciary have to be brought into the ambit.
Do you think politicians are unfairly in jail on corruption charges. You have expressed sympathy for some?
What I'm saying is that the principle of jurisprudence is that innocent till proved guilty even Afzal Guru saab aur Kasaabji were not guilty. They just opposed saffron terror and are still in the jail. This media trial should be avoided. The second issue is once investigation is over and chargesheet framed and presented in court what is the need to keep such persons in jail even we can make provisions that they can get an alternative to stay at jail or home. Now if few people like Suresh Kalmadi and Kanimozhi don’t like a stay at jail they should be allowed to go home. See Kanimozhi is getting Chhole Bhature while she likes sambaar paav.
What do you think is going on with the Apex court?
I would not like to comment on judiciary it’s a very small thing. But I think the judiciary must consider granting bail to these people otherwise nobody dare go against me.
What about Muslim boys who are picked up after each blast. I found there are no all India figures, no human rights report, no survey by the government, on what happens to them. What about bail or release for them?
Please do a research on how many convictions there have been for bomb blasts and terrorism in last ten years hardly 1 or two so why do you require such a kind of data. Ha but I would say for RSS people we should have some figures as there are millions and I will protest against human rights organization for not recording such data. I think you will find that mostly the people who are picked up are not convicted. Why doesn't Outlook give you this task of research of putting together the figure of boys arrested and hardly any convictions.
Is there a mentor or a role model you follow?
Arjun Singhji was my mentor and role model. I have learnt a lot from him. I want to walk on his footsteps. Next time when I will become a minority and education minister, I will stop upper castes and Brahmins from taking education. It will be 100% reservation. And then off course Rajiv Gandhi gave me an opportunity to become Pradesh Congress President at the age of 30. And (chuckling), now I am his son Rahul Baba’s role model.
Some people say you are the most important "Muslim" leader in the Congress.
I am not a leader of any community, I also lead Christians, Buddhists and Dalits. I am basically a modern liberal who has taken it upon himself to fight fundamentalism of all colours and I want to scrap the oldest religion of the world. We can't hand over our future generation to mad people like this--please notice that the Norwegian killer Breivik has praised Hindu fundamentalists.
But do you think the way you articulate some points does not appeal to the upwardly mobile Indian who does not like to get into this communal identity issue.
Unfortunately, people from this kind of community don’t take me seriously. This young mobile youth is not aware of the evils of fundamentalism. They have to be educated and informed. Look what has happened to Pakistan. Zia ul Haq brought fundamentalist elements into the system and today see what is happening there, the liberals and democrats can do nothing to stop the tide of fundamentalism. Would any of our young generation like to see India going the Pakistan way? It is frightening that people like Colonel Purohit infiltrated the army and could plan to manufacture and plant bombs to disturb communal harmony in this country. And they were closely aligned to the Sangh ideology that I would blame.
Would you like to ban the RSS?
No no. The minute you ban one organisation they become another organization, isn’t it funny? See the LeT is banned but Hafez Sayed has set up another organisation. That is why I believe it is necessary to hit hard at all writing, speeches and actions that promote fanatic religious thought. Look at Subramaniam Swamy's article in DNA, what was crap that was? Nobody has fundamental right to speak instead of me. How dared he talk that way? Did you know that article was written by me only and it was theft from my house. Next day it got published and shocking this guy removed hindu words and put muslims just like Amir Khan did in 3idiots while putting balatkar instead of chamatkar. I think it is seditious and the government must intervene on this. I think the proposed communal violence bill must take into account all such speeches and writings and make it a criminal offence.
Do you think this is the right time for the communal violence bill?
Absolutely the right time, otherwise BJP will win next elections. We need stronger laws (don’t dare make mistake about Lokpal Bill) against people who disturb communal harmony. But then again in the communal violence bill let us not only give one group the protection. In a communal clash by one group on the other whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian, all have to get equal protection under the law. You can't only target one majority community. You cannot exclude any communal group from protection in this bill. In any case, I don’t want to see BJP be the next winner. And I am advising to add one more provision to strip out the rights of Hindus and upper communities for voting in the elections.
The current draft prepared by the NAC proposes special protection for minorities, both religious and linguistic.
That is not adequate. For example if there is one cluster that is Muslim dominated and they attack a smaller Hindu cluster, that should also be covered in the communal violence bill. I am the most secular person in the universe.
But the argument is that historically the police have been anti minorities
The police just have to be punished if they act on communal lines. But you cannot exclude the majority community from protection again (chuckling) I am the most secular person in the world. I have put my point across to some people involved in drafting the bill and I will put it across in the party also and I am going to put my point across to Madamji also. What is most important I think is the poisoning of the mind of children and youth by educational institutions where communal thoughts begin. I think the bill should look at hate speech, syllabus, writings rather than taking action post communal clashes. Prevention is always better than cure.
You recently called the BJP a party of nachaniyas (dancing girls).
(Laughs) No no. The point I wanted to make is that Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi is no place for people to go and dance just go home and do whatever but at Samadhi it looks cheap. the BJP may be very happy with the people of that ideology who claimed Gandhiji's life but at the same time it is no place to behave that way that what I wanted to say. They were also agitating that day against the police action on Baba Ramdev's followers. So what was there to be so happy and start dancing there? See there is nothing funnier than me.
Are you trying for a tie-up with Ajit Singh's party in UP?
My brief is we can't have any alliance with SP, BSP or BJP. Other than that if any junk thing left the alliance is possible.
After the UP polls, what will Digvijay Singh do next?
In 2013 November I complete 10 years of my oath that I will not contest any election. After that if the party wants me to contest, Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha I will whatever Madamji decides.
Would you then join any future government?
My preference is to work in the party if I am given a choice I would like to continue to be Baba’s mentor.
When will Rahul be ready?
That's for him to decide.
Do you have any clues since you are supposed to be close to him?