Former Union Minister, senior BJP leader, and Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks to The Indian Express about the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Haldwani “purification” row, Prashant Kishor and his win from Bankipur. Excerpts:
One must understand one basic problem of Rahul Gandhi, which is the source of all the problems. He thinks that ‘I have to govern’ determines all his political moves. It keeps erupting from time to time. The second problem is that Rahul Gandhi does not do his homework. Someone gives him a chit of paper and he throws the issue. But he doesn’t stick to the issue, be it caste census or SIR (special intensive revision of electoral rolls). I am sorry to say that as LoP, he is beginning to come off as a non-serious politician. People expect seriousness (from a person who holds such a post).
* But what about the FIR?
One person from the Valmiki community has got the FIR registered. There was no caste angle to it.
* Isn’t Rahul Gandhi receiving a lot of traction, especially his “Chhatron ki Goonj” campaign?
He keeps moving on (from issues). At times, we see him with a trolley suitcase in his hand. He talks about ‘goonj (echo)’. There must be some substance and it has to be contrasted with what Congress governments in Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh are doing. ‘Goonj’ cannot be raised in isolation. But Rahul Gandhi has developed some earnestness in his political campaigns.
* What is your view on the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)?
I come from an activism background (JP Movement). There must be a proper agenda and there must be a leader. I am seeing one thing very clearly: the Prime Minister himself is addressing a lot of concerns of the youth. All of us are engaged and engagement should not be a problem. A view should be heard and measures should be taken. But the CJP cannot become a panacea for all problems. The CJP is conspicuously silent about problems in Punjab and Congress-ruled states. They need to be objective.
* Two BJP allies, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, have been sparring over quota sub-categorisation. Where does the party stand?
I am sure they will settle it. It will be settled properly.
* Do the BJP’s loss in Bankipur and Prashant Kishor’s win signal a shift in Bihar politics?
I want to reiterate that I did not make the remark attributed to me (Kishor alleged on the campaign trail that Prasad had said that even a cat or dog [kutta-billi] could win the seat). That is not my sanskar (values). A conscious and deliberate misreporting was done. I can give examples from recent history. In 2008, the NDA did very poorly in Assembly bypolls, but we bounced back (in the 2010 Assembly polls, winning 206 of 243 seats). I don’t minimise his (Kishor’s) victory. There could be NEET and some other factors. But this (BJP’s loss) cannot be the benchmark for re-orientation in Bihar politics. Having seen Bihar politics for a long time, I can say that it takes years of hard work to win people’s trust.
* The Congress has raised questions about the 7.8% GDP growth…
This is a completely misconceived and factually incorrect narrative. If the Congress is relying on a disgruntled former finance secretary, I can only say that it is bereft of ideas. The IMF, World Bank, and Reserve Bank of India have confirmed the country’s growth story. This growth story is a powerful and befitting reply to Rahul Gandhi, who had called the Indian economy a ‘dead economy’.
