PC: What is the issue that is causing worry in your mind these days? Presidential elections or some other issues, you have a long foresight about things, the conditions of the country are not right
SY: When one takes a comprehensive view, the situation is not right and the Presidential elections are on the anvil.
PC: After that there will be Vice President Elections
SY: That is attached with it. Till now, all parties have been talking; There has been no initiative from Congress party, Soniaji and people surrounding her. And when other people were discussing, I said, it is not right for us to speak now.
PC: ‘Us’ meaning JD (U)
SY: Be it JD (U) or NDA, or other parties, regional parties, left, all of these, not appropriate to say right now, and now all of them have understood this.
PC: Sharadji, you are a senior political leader. Prime Minister, after that President, Vice President, why does Sharad Yadav’s not come up, at least for President’s post?
SY: There is no meaning of debating why the name comes or not, all I want to say is that, the way we are standing by principles, some people concentrate on benefits, we don’t focus on post, but principles.
PC: If the post is offered to you
SY: For a post like President, a person like me, there is no context, the situation that the country is in, there is no meaning of going there on that post.
PC: There may be Vice President from other parties
SY: I have no connection with that
PC: You mean to say you are not a candidate
SY: No, not in any manner
PC: Tell me one thing, you believe in principles, like it is happening these days, earlier, President’s used to be chosen on the basis of their qualities. He should be an intellectual, non political, he should be well educated, must believe in principles, today it seems that caste, religion and then name starts… do you think that the conditions have become so bad that case and religion have become more important than capability.
SY: No, the thing is that the situation that the country is in, the way the country is going, the disease has become evident, but nobody is ready to have a serious discussion on the issue of that disease. Like you said, this is after the freedom movement, today the national parties,
PC: But the national parties are decreasing in size and strength, Congres and BJP both have reduced.
SY: That is what I am saying, that the size of the national parties has been reducing, secondly, some parties have increased. And the other point you said about person being chosen, even today it is seen, but earlier it used to happen in a straight and simple manner without any hue and cry, now a days there is a panchayat happening, and till a consensus is arrived at, the things that the people expect are discussed
PC: I am asking you a Teekhi Baat, do you feel that the President and Vice President should be chosen on the basis of case and religion. First that has to be see, or woman, last time a woman was made, there was controversy, the question is that do you agree that case and religion come first and capability after that?
SY: No, all should be seen together.
PC: What should be first
SY: That is not possible in this country, what you are saying, not possible in this country. When we were standing for the freedom struggle, there was lot of differences, Jinnah was one side
PC: That was ok, but Dr. Rajendra Prasad became, he was a political person, after that Radhakrishanaji came, after that big people, since the time of Fakhruddin
SY: That time, anyone at whom the finger was pointed, was the right person. When you talk about a fall, the disease of caste, religion is not the problem that the country is facing these days.
PC: I am understanding what you are saying, but you are not making it clear Mr. President, you are with BJP, am asking is case, religion more important than capability, do you agree?
SY: There can be no good-bad comparison between the three things.
PC: But if you have to give weight age
SY: Because that is not dependent on your or my desires. I it was dependent on my desire, I will get such a person for the post who stands by principles first.
PC: Even if the caste is different
SY: There is no question of caste, if you pick from anywhere, he is from a caste.
PC: He will be of some caste but too think that I have to chose caste first and then fit a person in that
SY: I am saying straightforward to you that this happens easily when there is a strong majority.
PC: No, but am asking you as a senior politician, JD (U) MP who has 22 MPs
SY: Am telling you that the social differences, there is no connection between diminishing those and by making somebody President.
PC: But like Sushmaji spoke on Presidential post, you opposed, why? On Hamid Ansari
SY: Didn’t you see my interview; I never said what wrong she has said.
PC: You said we have not thought
SY: I am telling on what all she has said, was never discussed with me In NDA. That is all I have said.
PC: No discussion regarding in name in NDA
SY: Not happened. That is all I have said
PC: But the relations that you have with BJP, may times it seems that Sharad Yadav I know, does not believe in politics, but the opportunistic behaviour that has started in JD (U), that have to be in power with BJP, but also oppose it. This one cannot understand, that you are running a government with BJP in Bihar, you don’t allow Modi sahab to come there, the opportunistic behaviour that is going on,
SY: Don’t call it opportunistic behaviour, the coalition that we have, when we did an alliance with BJP, there issues were marked and kept aside, the issue of Masjid, Mandir Masjid, Article 370, and Uniform Civil code and behind this there are many things,
PC: It is known from that start that you are not when them (BJP) on these issues
SY: When these issues create hurdles
PC: That everybody knows but somebody like Modi will not come to Bihar, we will not let him come, what is that?
SY: There is no issue like that
PC: Then he should have come to Nitish Kumar’s ceremony
SY: It was never said, never said
PC: He has issued a statement, it has been published. You had a stance that Nitish Kumar and Modi together will not campaign in Bihar.
SY: This has come out from other sources
PC: But it had been talked
SY: Not use of talking things discussed inside when there is a alliance
PC: But it was said Nitish
SY: Never was it said. We said that their party will decide.
PC: But Nitish Kumar kept a condition
SY: No. That time the difference was on some other issue. Before the national executive an advertisement had been published, that the natural calamity that Bihar faced, in which what all help Gujrat has given, on that there was an issue
PC: He said that we will return the money back
SY: On that there was an issue
PC: Giving money back is also politics, first you accepted money
SY: What I am saying that the limits had been crossed. There was a limit, there were differences on that
PC: That truth is that you took help from Modi government in the floods that the state faced, later you also sent a letter.
SY: No need of discussion on this issue, I have told you that there were differences on this.
PC: That is over
SY: That is over
PC: What I mean to say is that you relations with BJP are blow hot-blow cold
SY: Certainly, when there is an alliance in place, there are disagreements many times.
PC: If you and Modi are asking to campaign at a national level in Gujarat, will you do it
SY: Yes
PC: No, if you are called in Gujarat
SY: There is no question, no our party, from the day there have been communal riots on a large scale in Gujarat,
PC : You did oppose but
SY: No, before, that our party used to enter into an alliance with everybody. After that, continuously, we are contesting elections separately in Gujarat. Hence, there was a reason for what happened in Bihar
PC: You mean to say that you will not do an alliance with the BJP in Gujarat
SY: There is no question
PC: Earlier you did not do, you will not do in future
SY: No
PC: Hence, there is no question of campaigning with Modi
SY: No, there is no question
PC: And where there will be a joint campaign of BJP and Jantal Dal (U), in other states
SY: That happens
PC: Sharad and Modi, can they campaign at one place or not, when you are contesting together.
SY: No, in an alliance, who is, like we were all together in Punjab.
PC: But didn’t campaign with Modi
SY: We were all together
PC: But Modi and you on one platform
SY: Yes
PC: And will go again
SY: We had gone,
PC: Will go in Gujarat
SY: We will see, who will go or not go where.
PC: Let me come back to the issue of Presidential elections, what do you think, what kind of candidate, should he be political or non political.
SY: The thing that is not in front of us,
PC: Am not taking the name of the politician
SY: Am saying that the issue which is not before us,
PC: What is you individual opinion.
SY: My opinion is that when a name comes up from their side, whose responsibility it is, which means it is the Congress party’s responsibility, from their side and especially from Soniaji’s side when there is an initiative, UPA government and Congress party is in power. It is their responsibility, it would have been out responsibility, had it been our government. It is their responsibility now, what name do they bring forward, and when there is no discussion with them, then it is useless to answer on this issue.
PC: Do you feel that President should be appointed through consensus or will there be an election.
SY: No, like you said political, what we think that a person who can understand the country is in political life.
PC: No, you supported Dr. Kalam, he handles the responsibility well, that is what people feel
SY: I am saying that I have told you my opinion, that has never changed.
PC: You have said that it is the Congress’s responsibility to get the President elected
SY: Their responsibility is to initiate
PC: You will respond to that initiation
SY: It is our decision to take part and take forward the initiation.
PC: Till they don’t initiate, you will not do anything
SY: There is no question.
PC: That means NDA has no responsibility
SY: It is their responsibility to initiate
PC: UPA is in minority, and Sharad Yadav has such a grip that he can speak to other parties and get people together
SY: People are with us on many issues. But the thing is that we will exercise, when somebody speaks to us on an issue.
PC: The question is why Sharad Yadav does not come forward, get all regional parties together and make a consensus. You are one of senior most leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Why do you wait for UPA, you can also form consensus, it is your responsibility to run the nation.
SY: These all things that I said are after talking to all people. That the initiative will be on behalf of UPA, and then we will also come forward.
PC: You or NDA.
SY: NDA too, all other parties with them too.
PC: Now, have to tried talking to anybody
SY: With all of them.
PC: Have you spoken to Naveen Patnaik,
SY: I will not speak by taking any names. It is not necessary to name.
PC: But you have spoken to people unofficially and they have said that Congress should bring forth a name first.
SY: People have different opinions, but I am telling my opinion, and a majority of people have the same opinion, even people from the Left think the same, and all the other people, I don’t want to take their names, and all want that the initiative should be theirs
PC: Tell me an straight yes or no answer. That will you support active or serving member of Congress party, BJP has made it clear they won’t. What is your opinion.
SY: All I have to say is that only after their initiation, one has to think on all these issues.
PC: It means you have no condition now, it may be a Congressman too
SY: Anybody
PC: Congress, Communist anybody
SY: Yes
PC: It means you are different from the BJP
SY: No, we are not different form them
PC: But you are saying even if it is a Congressman we will think
SY: Why not, there is no issue. I am saying that we will give a thought after they initiate
PC: Do you feel that the Vice President should also come from their side?
SY: No, after they initiate, we will initiate
PC: No, I am saying something different, you are saying that you can consider anybody even a Congressman,
SY: Prabhuji, what do you mean
PC: Congress, on its own, cannot make a candidate win, that is true
SY: I am saying let the issue come from their side
PC: No, but the Congress cannot make anybody win on their own
SY: That even we cannot do
PC: You cannot do, but whom you support will win
SY: That is why I said earlier, that the initiative will be from their side
PC: The consensus which is forming, like Naveen Patnaik said that they will not support a Congress member, Sushma said that they too will not do. Am taking the question further, the people from non Congress, you and left, are you in the same line,
SY: There is no need of thinking on this issue now. The need is that there should be an initiative form their side, they have done no initiation, of hockey or football.
PC: It seems you like Pranab Mukherjee
SY: Why should I say today or anybody good or bad? We will not make any statement about anybody at this juncture.
PC: No, there has been so much economic development under the Prime Minister,
SY: Now leave that, in the Presidential election
PC: No, even he can be a candidate that is why I am saying
SY: No, what I am saying that I have made it clear, “ humari kisi tarah ki exercise, jab ball hee nahi, to hawa main pair kahan maroo”
PC: Coming to other issues, many times you talk on the issue of ethics, you all rallied against Baba Ramdev, what wrong has he said?
SY: No, I never said anything. It is such a big country, you and I both are here for so many years, there are political people. There are many debate and discussions going on.
PC: A contempt notice against him, defamation
SY: Seven people told me to move, I don’t feel the need to comment on this issue, we are already surround by lots of statements made.
PC: Now many types of CDs are coming out, the credibility of politician is getting lesser by the day
SY: No,no,no, people are making efforts to see that credibility is lessened and the class of politicians gets over. There is no mention of good people. Not only politicians, wherever there are good people, they are not mentioned. Like the parliament has so many good people, not even one day, at any place, ‘ mare tab theek hain’. When Rajneesh and I were together, he used to say , ‘Murdon ka desh hain Sharadjee, mar jaye to bada hain” Hence, this nation will not be able to go on the right path.
PC: Now, the kind of people coming in Rajya Sabha, cricketers, film stars,
SY: This is a ‘shaam, andhera paksha’ the ’ujala paksha’ that is coming has not been discussed.
PC: What is the ujala paksha
SY: Many good people have come. I am saying that discuss the bad things, presume that I start discussing the media, there are good and bad people in media, but will the good people be not discussed, will only the bad people be discussed.
PC: Am talking of a trend that has started,
SY: Trend has formed, what I am saying that we have not addressed any disease. Like, we used to give tickets, our party was the biggest party after the Congress party, after Chaudhary saab I used to distribute tickets, ticket means, we used to give only a symbol, and people used to win by giving symbol. Now, money plays such a huge part, that he whole system, that he circulation of money is increasing in politics.
PC: Rajya Sabha tickets are being sold like it has come in the newspapers, that there is bidding
SY: There is something to that effect, aberration is there in many things. At many places people are selling themselves.
PC: Regarding the recent Supreme Court judgement, that there will be no reservation for promotion.
SY: No, there is no need to discuss these issues today. Today the issue that you have touched is of President Elections.
PC: Because you speak less, hence there is less opportunity.
SY: No, I am saying that opportunity will come in parliament.
PC: It had come for a bit
SY: It had come in the Rajya Sabha
PC:In Rajya Sabha
SY: Very lightly. People who are knowledgeable about social differences, there will be a big debate in parliament, when it will happen. The condition of the constitution and the country, am saying that there will be a big debate there. Now, I will not speak on behalf of either side, but surely in Parliament, because there should be a record for history.
PC: You will speak, should there be an amendment
SY: Am saying that it is a question of when it comes.
PC:Don’t you think that in this country one should leave caste and
SY: Certainly, you said the right thing. But if the castes
PC: The full question is that don’t you think there should be reservation on economic basis for the poor, let him be of any caste of religion. Because the poor is becoming poorer, you and I both know. The reservation on caste basis was for 10 years, but has been on for 65 years. When will the time come that instead of caste, economic standing will be a criteria for getting reservation.
SY: I am saying that the direct relation of being poor, I am saying that poverty is a disease, it is true that poverty is everywhere, but when you use caste as a yardstick, you will find that ‘ garibi ka mamla bata hua hain’ There are two angles to the 10 year reservation, that ten years was done for election, there was no 10 year barrier for jobs. It is in the parliament’s hands.
PC: Has the time come that poor should be thought of as a poor, let him be of any caste, and helped
SY: There is no doubt. But social and economic inequality are related questions.
PC: But do you think that the time will come
SY: But the straight question is that when the caste will not be there anymore, that day the question you have raised
PC: You mean till the castes is not there anymore all this will happen
SY: Till the disease is not treated. I have a solution to caste issue, I can give it to you, how to eradicate it in 50 years,
PC: Will discuss on eradicating the castes again, thank you for coming to our studio.
SY: Thank you, Prabhuji !
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