NEW DELHI: BJP emphasizes development; Congress uses reservation politics for division. Confident Haryana’s castes will unite for BJP, supporting PM Modi, says Poonia.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to secure a significant victory in Haryana, according to Satish Poonia, Haryana’s state in-charge general secretary, in an interview with The Sunday Guardian.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Will BJP make reservation a big issue in the elections?
A. Poonia – See, BJP fights elections on development and the work done. It was Congress that made reservation and caste politics an issue. Congress has always had a policy of division. Because Congress has nothing to show either at the center or in the state. They are trying to rule by dividing the united Hindus by lying. We will tell the public not to get misled by Congress’s divide and rule policy. Congress will not increase reservation but will end it. Congress is trying to divide and weaken Hindus by lying on reservation. But I am confident that all the castes of Haryana will unite and vote for BJP. I have visited almost all the seats in the state. I keep taking feedback from all places every day. There is a wave for Prime Minister Modi and BJP. BJP will win with a record number of seats.
Q. You talked about the wave of Prime Minister Modi. Will PM Modi be the real face?
A. Prime Minister Modi is and will remain the main face of BJP in the whole country. For Haryana, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is the face. If BJP wins, Saini will again become the Chief Minister. It is our party that gives opportunity to the backwards. If Rahul Gandhi is a supporter of the backwards, then he should declare a backward person as the CM face in Haryana. If he has the courage, then he should make a Dalit or a backward person the CM face in Haryana. I know that Rahul is not going to do anything like this. He only pretends to be a well-wisher of the backward classes. Congress leaders also say that there is an atmosphere of fear in the country. I want to ask the Congress leaders whether any riots took place in the country in the last ten years, was any innocent person atrocity committed. Congress should tell in which state atrocities were committed against Muslims.
Q. My question was about Prime Minister Modi.
A. My question is to you and the people of the country. Tell me whether Prime Minister Modi did anything for himself or his family in the last ten years. Has even a single case of corruption come to light? I tell you that PM Modi took decisions not for himself but for the country’s interest. The biggest decision was to end the roots of terrorism by abolishing Article 370, which was a major problem for the country after independence. Most of our youth in Haryana serve in the army. Ask them what is the situation on the border today. All the leaders of Congress and India Alliance used to give statements about Article 370 that if it is removed, the country will be set on fire. Did anything like that happen? Everything happened peacefully. Today the same Congress is fighting elections in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with those parties who talk about bringing back 370. I would ask my young brothers of Haryana to find out how strong our army has become on the border now. The army does not have to ask Delhi for action now. We take action on our own and teach a lesson to the enemy country and terrorists. Remember the surgical strikes. Now our farmer and wrestler brothers are being misled that the Modi government did nothing. Modi ji did nothing for himself. In the last ten years, he did everything for the country. Another big issue was Ram Mandir. Congress did not allow the construction of Ram Mandir for the sake of Muslim votes. Prime Minister Modi had the will power. Only then did the Supreme Court order the construction of the temple. Ram Mandir was built peacefully. Congress boycotted the idol’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ram Mandir. Triple Talaq, strict laws for the safety of women, 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha, a network of international level roads, new trains, tap water in every house, all kinds of help to farmers and now pension guarantee to government employees. Your entire interview will be filled with achievements only.
Q. But the opposition alleges that the farmers were not heard, MSP was not given, the youth are unemployed and the youth are disappointed with the Agniveer scheme.
A. I ask the farmer brothers through you to tell honestly what all our Haryana government and the Modi government at the Centre have not done for the farmers. If we compare it with the Congress governments, we will know that today farmers are getting a fair price for their crops. Farmers are being helped through various schemes of financial assistance. Congress instigates a few farmers to protest. There have even been reports that foreign agencies are trying to manage some big farmers and spread unrest in the country by destabilizing the strong government at the Centre. But our farmer brothers have come to know the truth. For the farmers, the country and its security come first, so no one can mislead them. With the victory of BJP in the election results, you will know with whom the farmers are. As far as the Agniveer scheme is concerned, the youth have come to know the truth. The youth have come to know that there has been no change in the number of permanent recruitments. The youth who are getting jobs in Agniveer are additional numbers. So far reservation has been announced for Agniveers in all government jobs. The opposition is spreading confusion by telling lies.
Q. After the ticket distribution, a large number of voices of protest were heard.
A. See, every worker and leader wants a ticket. But tickets are limited. Secondly, the party tries to give tickets to the winner. Tickets are distributed with complete transparency. There is resentment for a day or two, after that everything is fine. Everyone works together to make the declared candidate win. Our party is a disciplined party. Dissatisfaction is momentary. BJP is winning, so the number of claimants was also high. See in Congress, the leaders themselves are fighting among themselves. There are many claimants for the post of Chief Minister. Here, the entire BJP is fighting the elections unitedly under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National President JP Nadda. Victory is certain.
Q. BJP could win only five seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
A. You are absolutely right. Winning five seats simply means that the public supported BJP in half the seats. That too when Congress misled the public by telling lies like the constitution is in danger, reservation will be abolished. One more thing, at that time all the major leaders were contesting the elections. But now the situation is completely opposite. The truth has come out. The public came to know that Congress lied for votes. BJP will benefit from this. The most important thing, as I said in the beginning, is that Congress does the politics of division. First used Vinesh Phogat politically and then gave her a ticket and created a rift in the Phogat family. Babita Phogat is also saying that Congress created a rift in the family. The people of Haryana have understood that Congress can go to any extent for votes. That is why the public is going to create history by helping BJP form government for the third time.