After a gap of eighteen years, BJP leaders from all over the country converged at Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana, for the National Executive meeting, on July 2 and 3. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat took time off to take a detour of the world's largest Ramoji Film City. During his visit, the minister also met with Ramoji Rao, the Chairman of the Ramoji Film City, and offered him the traditional 'Uttarakhandi Topi'. In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Rawat touched upon several issues, including the recent ruling of the Jharkhand High Court in a case dating way back to 2018.
The conversation began with Jharkhand High Court's judgment on giving him a clean chit in the matter. While hearing a petition filed by Umesh Sharma, about a case involving a conspiracy angle to topple the government in 2018 as well as blackmailing, the court ordered the removal of Trivendra Singh Rawat's name from the petition.
Q: You were given clean chit by the Jharkhand High Court. What was the matter?
Ans: It was a conspiracy and I was falsely framed in it. A so-called journalist and self-proclaimed social activist made false allegations. Earlier, he had filed the case in Uttarakhand High Court. The court had then questioned how was the allegation made out. The petitioner then filed an affidavit before the High Court stating that he was withdrawing all allegations. Thereafter, the case came up for hearing at the Jharkhand High Court. Someone had filed a petition against me. Though my name was added to the case, the court cleared my name from the petition later.
Q: You were in Hyderabad for the National Executive meeting. How was the experience and what did you gain after visiting the place?
Ans: We were asked to interact with party workers by senior leaders and ministers before the commencement of the national executive meeting. Besides, we were also asked to get in touch with the public. No matter what Telangana CM KCR says, everybody has the right to express their views. But, this time around Telangana will see a big change.
Q: BJP talks about skilling India whereas Telangana CM says that Hyderabad is ahead in terms of gaining skills. Besides, TRS accuses the saffron party of altering the names of the scheme as well as renaming the cities. What is your take on this?
Ans: Telangana's chief minister has changed the names of all the Centrally-sponsored schemes, which was not fair. It was against the federal principle. Although, changing the names of cities was a different matter. It has a historical connotation. The invaders plundered and altered the places of worship and their names were changed. We just tried to restore those names.
Q: There are allegations against BJP for changing the Chief Minister by sabotaging the government in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Ans: People were not able to keep their families (read political parties) intact. We didn't break anybody. Shinde faction, the core part of Shiv Sena, parted ways. Bharatiya Janata Party was not heading the government in Maharashtra. There were direct allegations that Udhav Thackeray was unable to handle Shiv Sena. The former Maharashtra CM deviated from the path of Hindutva for which Balasaheb had raised Shiv Sena. Besides, Udhav Thackeray followed the appeasement policy for political parties like Congress and NCP. The Bharatiya Janata Party has saved Maharashtra.
Q: BJP makes policy according to the state, and makes compromises. Uttarakhand has become a laboratory. The politics of change was also seen in Uttarakhand. There were allegations that you were seen in the photo with Harish Rawat.
Ans: Uttarakhand is a state where leaders from both parties, whether it was Congress or BJP, talked about smiling and laughing. This has not happened anywhere else in the country.
Q: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Uttarakhand will be far ahead of other states in terms of development. But, the policy framed by the previous Chief Minister was reversed by the other, especially in the case of the Devasthanam Board. How will the state achieve progress?
Ans: Many times, the government took a decision but was unable to explain it to the public. Now, the general public is realizing that there was a need for Devasthanam Board. As the Char Dham Yatra was going on, reactions from people started pouring in. Today the issue needed a debate. But somewhere we faltered to convince the public as well as the priestly society that their interests or rights would not be undermined.
Q: The BJP was not able to explain the Nupur Sharma case to the whole country.
Ans: The whole country understood the Nupur Sharma case. Whatever reactions were coming from across the world showed that people have their eyes on her. Nupur Sharma said many times to the gentleman with whom the debate was going on that she too could say the same thing, but when he did not understand. What she said was well understood by the country.
Q: What was the policy of the BJP in the Nupur Sharma case?
Ans: BJP's policy is Sarva Dharma Sambhav. We believe that if someone's feelings are hurt by something, then such a thing should not be spoken.
Q: BJP in Delhi and Uttarakhand were working in close coordination or was there some opposition?
Ans: Uttarakhand government was doing a good job under the leadership of Pushkar Singh Dhami. The state has got a youthful Chief Minister and the government will do a much better job in the coming days.
Q: Prime Minister Modi has set a 10-year target for Uttarakhand. Please explain.
Ans: The Prime Minister said the next decade will belong to Uttarakhand. Construction of all-weather roads, rail, and air connectivity was discussed 20 years ago in 2001, when Narendra Modi was the organization's general secretary and in charge of Uttarakhand. Now, PM Modi put up the agenda for discussion at the working committee meeting, and fortunately, this meeting was held in Badrinath. Whatever the Prime Minister says, he sticks to it. So we are pretty sure that he will accomplish his target.
