BJP using govt agencies to threaten leaders in Oppn: Ashok Chavan
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letters@hindustantimes.com
Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader, Ashok Chavan, has alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the government machinery to target and even poach leaders from opposition parties ahead of the October 21 assembly elections. He spoke to Surendra P Gangan:
Why do you think people should vote for the Congress in the assembly polls?
People have now realised that the Devendra Fadnavis government has been a failure. Farmers’ suicides in Marathwada and Vidarbha have increased. In fact, there are cases of suicides registered in areas where chief minister Fadnavis visited for the campaign. In its assembly manifesto, the BJP has promised to generate 1 crore jobs but it has failed to keep its promise of 2 crore jobs per year in the country as declared in 2014. State government announced to fill 72,000 government posts, but those have remained on paper.
People are losing their jobs due to the drop in the productions in automobile and other sectors. They voted on the nationalist issues in Lok Sabha polls, but it would not be repeated in state polls. Modi wave does not exist any more.
If you think there is unrest among the people, why did the Opposition fail to raise these issues?
We did raise issues. We did not get required publicity but that doesn’t mean the Opposition didn’t do anything on the ground. The issues should have been taken to their logical end where we failed. The issue of Aarey tree cutting (for construction of a car shed for Mumbai Metro) and Punjab & Maharashtra Co-operative Bank should have been taken up in the campaign in Mumbai, but we have not done it. Our leader of Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, was the face of the opposition, but he defected to the ruling party. His decision did not happen overnight, it must have been cooking for quite some time. It is true that there is scope for improvement.
Why did the Opposition fail to keep its flock together?
Our leaders were threatened with inquiries; agencies like Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax were used to initiate action against institutions run by them. Then they were assured protection from the action if they joined the ruling parties. Those who joined them were scared of some action or the other against them. The ones who did not budge are still on the radar.
But why should they be afraid of any action if they are not involved in any wrongdoing?
It is not about wrongdoing. An inquiry can be initiated for anything if one is running an institution. A notice in response to allegations of corruption or an inquiry is enough to malign the image as the case goes on for years, and even if you are proved innocent, the [political] damage is already done. People in public life are worried about this modus operandi. Action is not taken against the ruling party politicians involved in corruption and irregularities. Why no concrete action is being taken against the directors of the PMC Bank?
Are you trying to say that more Congress leaders are on the radar of the BJP?
Yes, of course. The BJP has been using the government machinery abruptly in this election. Our leaders are being watched by the government machinery. The police officials are being threatened to work in their favour. Ruling party leaders are using the contractors to mint money for the elections. Extortion is on the rise across the state. Political interference in police department and their postings has increased. Doctors, professionals are getting calls for extortion. This was witnessed even in the Palghar bypolls two years ago. Senior police officers stationed in the constituency were helping the ruling party. My family has seen power for 40 years but this type of misuse [of power] was never done in the past.
Why is the state Congress unit a divided house when the party is going through its worse phase?
It is not true. We have been fighting this election unitedly. All of us are busy in our respective constituencies, but there is better coordination. It is true that there were complaints over ticket distribution in Mumbai and Vidarbha, but we are fighting the election with full vigour. Our younger generation is eager to fight.
Aren’t sections of the Maratha community, which was a strong support base for your party, tilting towards the BJP because of its decision to give them reservation?
I do not think so. No benefit of the reservation is seen on ground. The government hasn’t filled vacancies meant for the community. Rather than reservation, unemployment and financial recession are the bigger issues and the community knows this very well.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, led by Prakash Ambedkar, split the Opposition’s votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Won’t it damage your party’s prospects in assembly polls too?
The response to the VBA has receded by about 60% as Dalit voters have realised that it was a mistake to vote for Ambedkar’s front in the Lok Sabha polls. He has now changed his stand, but it is not clear who will be benefited by it. Had he come with us, he, too, would have benefited. Only he knows why he didn’t do it.
There is rebellion in BJP-Sena alliance. Is the Opposition in a position to take advantage of the same?
Defeating the Shiv Sena is the BJP’s hidden agenda and it has been supporting the rebels in a number of constituencies. We, on the other hand, have better coordination among our allies.