There will be clear majority for BJP in UP, says Rajnath Singh
The NDA government has been able to quicken decision-making and boost economic growth while displaying a firm response to insurgency and Left wing extremism, home minister Rajnath Singh said in an exclusive interview with TOI. As it approaches the two-year mark, infiltration from Pakistan and Maoist incidents are the lowest they have been in a decade while investigating agencies are functioning without any interference from the Centre.
Excerpts of a conversation with Bharti Jain, Akhilesh Singh and Neeraj Chauhan:
Q: What was the principal challenge on assuming office?
A: I think that after the government came to power, the biggest problem we faced was the slack pace of decision-making. There was also economic mismanagement. The government lacked the right direction to take the country forward. We have tackled economic mismanagement. Decision-making is now transparent and quick. India’s prestige has grown by leaps and bounds in the international community. Our Prime Minister’s foreign trips have been extremely fruitful for the country. In the past two years, the international community has acknowledged that India is the fastest-growing economy.
The economy got momentum under the governments led by Vajpayee and Modi. During the Vajpayee government, growth peaked at 8.4%. It went up again to 7.5% under Modi. Another thing is that usually, the aura of the top leadership among the public starts diminishing after two years due to failure to live up to high expectations. But as far as Modiji is concerned, people’s confidence in him has only grown.
Q: What was your perception of national security when you took over and how has it changed?
A: If you look at the latest figures, on an average, in the past 10-12 years, Left-wing extremism is at its lowest point. In terms of insurgency in the north-east, this is also at its lowest in the past 15-17 years; this is also because we could break the back of NDFB (Songbjit) after it killed over 60 tribals in Assam. On the western border too, when the Pakistani forces killed five civilians including women and children, I gave standing instructions to BSF not to fire the first bullet but retaliate strongly to any firing from the other side. As a result, incidents of infiltration are down by almost 50%. Terrorists have also been killed in significant numbers.
Q: Do you think the face of terrorism has changed. Though Pakistan-based outfits remain a threat, Islamic State has emerged as a major concern.
A: Well, terrorism is now being unleashed through cyberspace. As far as Islamic State is concerned, I continue to be confident that IS will not be successful in India. Many others may differ with me on this, but I don’t think Indian Muslims will allow IS to strengthen its roots here. Though there are instances of radicalisation, I am confident that Muslims who have grown up amid Indian culture and traditions have a nationalist bent of mind.
Q: There seems to be stress on counselling radicalised youth. Take the recent case of Delhi Police detaining 13 radicalised youth only to let off 10 of them.
A: That is part of our government’s balanced approach. Counselling is done before taking a call on whether to initiate action against such youth. That is why only three of the 13 young men detained by Delhi Police were arrested, while the others were allowed to go. In contrast, young Muslim suspects were indiscriminately arrested under the previous regime.
Q: Do you think the new IS video showing Indian recruits will have an impact among young Muslims?
A: We are yet to authenticate the video. I will comment only after the clip has been fully examined and found to be authentic.
Q: On action against NGOs. What are you doing in terms of FCRA and foreign funds coming into India?
A: As far as FCRA is concerned, as part of our initiative to promote transparency in our dealings with NGOs, we have made all FCRA transactions online. Allegations from time to time that we are trying to harass NGOs are wrong and completely baseless. All probes and action against NGOs have been fully transparent. It was only when we noticed violations and irregularities that we initiated action. For instance, the home ministry initially gave six months time to around 4,000 NGOs who had not filed their utilisation certificate or FCRA returns. However, only 250 complied, despite a reminder. Action therefore became obvious. Earlier regimes knew about such irregularities but did nothing.
Q: Are changes to the Arms Act being planned?
A: We are making major changes to the Arms Act rules to make them user-friendly. There is also a need to bring amendments to the Arms Act. We will bring a bill very soon. The purpose is to make licensing simpler and mandate renewal of licences only after 10 years rather than every year.
Q: How is border fencing progressing. The incoming CM of Assam has said this would be done in two years.
A: We will try to expedite fencing of Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam and other states. Notably, even Bangladesh is cooperating with us on this.
Q: Do you think two years is a realistic target for sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border?
A: We will try to do it as soon as possible. By the way, as part of technological upgradation on the border, we recently approved laser walls in Punjab, Gujarat, south Bengal and Tripura.
Q: But is the fencing working on the Pakistan border?
A: There is a three-member committee under former home secretary Madhukar Gupta looking into the issue. This was set up in the wake of Pathankot attack. We should get its report soon.
Q: Are we seeing increased action in tracing Dawood Ibrahim? ED has attached many properties and NIA has chargesheeted his aide Javed Chikna.
A: Dawood is an international terrorist. Whatever documents India had to submit (to secure his custody), it has. India will do what it needs to do. But considering that he is a global terrorist, it is also incumbent on other nations to pursue India’s case for his arrest and build pressure on Pakistan in this regard.
Q: In case Dawood expresses a desire to surrender, will you take a lenient view and give him some sort of immunity?
A: We will act as per Indian and international laws.
Q: Has Pakistan’s behaviour changed towards India?
A: Pakistan’s attitude wasn’t very good earlier. We have had talks with Pakistan at foreign secretary level. I believe that we should wait for Pakistan’s response for some more time (on Pathankot). However, after this incident (Pathankot), since talks have happened, so we should wait for the response.
Q: Has Pakistan conveyed whether they have detained or arrested Maulana Masood Azhar and have they confirmed the identity of four fidayeen attackers?
A: I don’t have the details right now, but these are sensitive issues.
Q: MHA and Delhi government didn’t have very cordial relations earlier. Has something changed for the better?
A: When it comes to Centre-state relationship, we haven’t interfered in the state government’s work. We try to make it cordial as much as possible. You won’t find a single instance where one can say that central government has interfered in Delhi government’s work.
Q: What about fresh demand for full statehood for Delhi?
A: These demands have been raised earlier as well. Delhi is a Union Territory, this is a well considered decision.
Q: With reference to the Malegaon (2008) case, it has been said that NIA has taken a U-turn, and Congress says this is a political move and BJP is trying to shield the accused.
A: As far as investigating agencies are concerned, as I have said earlier as well, we don’t interfere in their work. We don’t even ask them about their report, what have they done, why or what they should do. It is possible that this was happening during Congress’s regime but we don’t do these things.
Q: So, were agencies misused earlier in Samjhauta or Malegaon cases?
A: When the facts will come out, everything will be clear. I won’t comment on anyone directly, but somewhere something had gone wrong.
Q: Some papers are missing in Ishrat Jahan case.
A: I said it in Parliament as well. The report in the matter (of enquiry) will come. The officer (BK Prasad) has already been given two months’ extension so that there is impartial probe into it.
Q: Can some system and safeguards be set up to prevent agencies from being misused for political purposes?
A: There should be commitment towards values, that is the most important thing.
Q: After BJP assumed office, there were debates on issues like ‘award wapsi’ and ‘intolerance’. How do you see this?
A: I believe it was a systematic effort to defame the government but they couldn’t succeed in their plans. If they had been successful, then I think, in Assam, which is a very sensitive state, we wouldn’t have got victory with such margin there. It you see BJP’s vote share has increased. In fact, the conspirators had to pay the price of conspiring against us.
Q: Was the action against JNU protesters high-handedness?
A: See, this was Delhi Police’s work.
Q: But there was political debate over it, about ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. What do you have to say about that?
A: If somebody shouts slogans to break Bharat Mata into pieces and if somebody is speaking against India on Indian soil, I don’t think it’s freedom of speech. Law is taking its own course in the matter, I wouldn’t comment much on this. But my personal opinion is that if somebody chants slogans like these, then that person’s “freedom of speech” is not acceptable to us.
Q: Has the BJP’s position on Bharat Mata ki Jai mattered in the recent elections?
A: I believe the performance of the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji has played a vital role in this (election results). Subsequently, our ideology has worked in our favour. Our ideology is not to divide society but to bring it together. The theme of our ideology is ‘justice and humanity’. And people are now realizing it that the way our government has worked, this political party which was regularly defamed by calling it a communal party or playing divisive politics, all those charges were wrong. This whole intolerance debate was provoked by some people, it has now gone.
Q: What is government doing about the issue of Hindu migrants in Bangladesh or Pakistan?
A: All minorities, like Hindus, Parsis, Christians or others, who have come before December 2014, their stay and entry have been regularized. This is a major decision by this government. We have also issued SOP to give long-term visa to them.
Q: They have also been asking for citizenship.
A: We will give them full-fledged citizenship for which we will bring a bill.
Q: Nitish Kumar has called upon all political parties to come as a grand alliance if they want to stop BJP.
A: We are moving ahead with positive thinking. We don’t give too much attention to such things. People of this country have given us a mandate, so our minds are only working in one direction – growth of this country. And to bring India in the queue of developed countries, we are trying to gain everyone’s support.
Q: How do you see UP elections shaping up? It is being said that BJP’s win in Lok Sabha elections in UP was because of different reasons and that SP and BSP will be major contenders in UP now.
A: There will be clear majority for BJP in Uttar Pradesh, I am convinced about that. The dynamics which earlier worked in the state will not work this time. There is a section which is with BJP moving away from caste, creed and other factors. There is one section in every caste and community, big or small, which supports BJP. BJP gets more than 50 seats in UP every time. Only 2004 and 2009 were exceptions.
Q: Who will give you the fight – BSP or SP?
A: Some places BSP, some places SP. Congress will be insignificant.
Q: Will BJP think of projecting a face in UP as well like Assam?
A: The parliamentary board will decide that.
Q: Are the public meetings and rallies in UP reflecting a concern in BJP that it may lose in the state?
A: No, no. UP is a big state. There hasn’t been a national executive there in two years and we discussed this last time that we should do national executive in UP. So we have decided to do it there this time. Last time it was in 2011 in UP.
Q: What is the progress of I4C, to tackle cyber crime?
A: The nodal agency is being established.
Q: On government’s working culture, it is said often that it is centralized, and PMO interferes everywhere.
A: No, there is no interference from PMO in any work.
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