Mumbai, December 8 (IANS). What will be the future of Congress and Mahavikas Aghadi in Maharashtra after Maharashtra Assembly elections? Congress State President Nana Patole spoke to IANS regarding this. This conversation took place on the following points.
Question: Where did Congress go wrong in Maharashtra elections?
Answer: We have not made any mistake in the elections. Neither people have made mistakes. The election has been won dishonestly. BJP has committed the sin of dishonestly killing the democratic system. The result of this is that we are seeing such results in Maharashtra.
Question: Would it have been beneficial if Congress had announced the CM face during the announcement of election dates?
Answer: I don’t want to go backwards now. But, the rigging done by the Election Commission is not good for our democracy. Congress party will fight that battle. The Election Commission is stopping people from conducting mock polls. Some people were detained. Was that treason? I have the right to check whether my vote is correct or not. But the government is taking action by filing cases against the people.
Question: Will Congress boycott the elections held using EVMs in the country?
Answer: This decision has to be taken by the top leadership of the party. We have expressed our feelings to the top leadership. Therefore, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has also demanded to conduct elections through ballot paper. I think the work of making some strategy on this has already started.
Question: After Maharashtra Assembly elections, will Congress now go alone in the elections?
Answer: Congress’s role is to take the parties involved in the alliance along. If someone doesn’t want to live together then that could be their issue. The leaders of Uddhav faction Shiv Sena are free to take decisions because one of their leaders gives some statement while the other leader says that it is his personal opinion. Congress believes in taking everyone along. BJP wants to abolish the Constitution. Congress will never allow this to happen. We will continue to fight our battle.
Question: Arvind Kejriwal is not with Indi Alliance in Delhi. He is contesting the elections alone.
Answer: Every party has the right to take that decision. No one should have any problem in this. All the political parties that were in alliance with BJP, have they always been there? This continues in democracy.
Question: Rahul Gandhi always raises the issue of Veer Savarkar, do you think he apologized to the British?
Answer: This is not a topic of Rahul Gandhi. The media has no other issue. The media should not talk about public issues. An attempt is being made to divert people’s attention from today’s issues by creating stories from history. China has occupied our border. This is not discussed in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi and Congress want that inflation, unemployment and farmers should be discussed in Parliament. We do not discuss what Veer Savarkar was.
Question: How are you seeing the violence going on in Bangladesh?
Answer: The Congress party has demanded to discuss what is happening in Manipur more than what is happening in Bangladesh. Today people are not safe in the country. There is talk of discussion on the issue of Bangladesh. But, why is the government running away from discussing Manipur? I want to say that the situation prevailing in the country, people are not feeling safe. Women are being tortured, they are being burnt alive. What should the government not discuss on this issue? The government should discuss foreign policy. They should tell what is the situation in the neighboring states.
Question: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the DNA of the attackers of Sambhal and Bangladesh is the same.
Answer: Being the Chief Minister of the state, it is his responsibility to maintain the law and order of the state, Yogi cannot handle the law and order of the state properly and talks about Bangladesh. What would you call such people? Such people do not even have the right to hold office, they are sitting on office by taking oath on the Constitution. These people cannot talk about religion. In Maharashtra elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that if we are united then we are safe, Yogi Adityanath had said that if we are divided then we will be divided. This government should be abolished.
Question: Did you not receive invitation to the swearing-in ceremony?
Answer: We did not receive any invitation. This is not called a swearing-in ceremony. The public is saying that the coronation has taken place. There was no oath taking ceremony at Azad Maidan. It was the coronation program of BJP. I want to ask him if there was a program at his house. Because the atmosphere was like a coronation. Cow is worshipped. We do not oppose cow worship. But their minister Kiren Rijiju says that cow is not our mother.
Question: What would you say if Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has got relief in the benami property case?
Answer: I want to ask a question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he used to say that neither will I eat nor will I let anyone eat. When it is benami property then deposit it with the government. How is this property being given to Ajit Pawar? Money is being collected from common people by bringing GST law. Today the people of the country know where the money is being given after looting the common man. BJP has committed the sin of giving benami property to Ajit Pawar. We will take it to the public.
Question: The Chief Minister of Assam is banning beef. How do you see this?
Answer: BJP does duplicitous politics of Hindutva. I have already said that farmers do not have money to give away the cows they have in their homes.
Question: Mohan Bhagwat is saying that the population of Hindus is decreasing. Therefore, give birth to three children. How do you see this?
Answer: It is the right of the family to decide how many children to have. Especially this is the right of the mother. Mohan Bhagwat is not married. I think they should get married. Instead of giving advice to others, it is better to start with yourself. It is the mother’s right to have a child or not. BJP and RSS are same. Inflation is making life miserable for people. Do they want to take away the food they are getting two times a day by having children?
Question: Will you fight the Municipal Corporation elections alone or will Mahavikas Aghadi fight together?
Answer: Will discuss it after the announcement of elections.
Question: Uddhav Thackeray group leader Sanjay Raut is saying that if you had not resigned, the government would not have fallen two and a half years ago.
Answer: It is good that my friend is getting an idea of my strength.
Question: You do not have the numbers in the Assembly to become the leader of the opposition. What will you say?
Answer: We will fight on public issues and win. We believe in this and will work with full hard work.
Question: Many people from your party have not taken the oath as assembly members.
Answer: After the coming of the government in Maharashtra, there is no enthusiasm among the people. The public said that this government was not formed by our votes. People are making this allegation. If we did not vote for this candidate then how did he get so many votes. We are the representatives who provide justice to the people. Today we thought that we will not take oath. The voice of the public should reach the Election Commission. Will take the voice of the public to the Election Commission.
Question: What will you say about law and order in Maharashtra?
Answer: Devendra Fadnavis has seven and a half years of experience. The home department will remain with Devendra only. We have advised them that law and order has deteriorated here. Efforts will have to be made to improve law and order. Will take answers from the new government on the issue of law and order. The young generation is committing suicide because of drugs. Apart from this, there are many matters on which the government will be held to account.
Question: You have been accused of working for BJP.
Answer: Such talks keep going on inside the party. There is no need to discuss this. BJP does not accept democracy. In 2017, I had said that these people will loot the people by bringing GST. Today the people of the country have also come to know that the GST law was brought to loot us. People who do not accept the Constitution. That’s why I separated from him two and a half years ago. I am working to free BJP from Maharashtra.
Question: BJP is accused of destroying regional parties. What will you say?
Answer: BJP National President JP Nadda has said that we will eliminate all regional parties. Their intention is that no one should be left out in the democratic system.
Question: What will Congress leader Abhishek Manu say if he finds a bundle of Rs 500 near Singhvi’s seat?
Answer: Who has kept the money on the table is clearly visible in the CCTV footage. He sat at his table for three minutes. After this he left. He is saying that he has only Rs 500. Instead of making an issue of this, it is better that you have the CCTV footage. Check and end the matter. Benami property has been discovered there. No one is saying that it is their money. I think this matter is not related to the public.
–IANS
DKM/AS
