Q. How do you view the circumstances in which Nitin Gadkari had to resign as BJP president?
A. There was a conspiracy to malign his name and that of the party through allegations raised against him.
In fact, Nitin Gadkari himself said that he was quitting as he did not want that allegations against him should in any way adversely affect the interests of the BJP.
Q. What about the allegations that some senior BJP leaders played an important role in his ouster, and that there was an anti-Gadkari campaign within the party although it was well known that the RSS wanted him to be re-elected for a second term?
A. It would be wrong to say that there was a campaign within the party against Gadkari.
Some section within the party might have felt that he should come clean on the allegations against him. But perhaps this section did not represent a unanimous opinion, or a majority opinion, that he should step down.
These are just conspiracy theories that there was a campaign against Mr Gadkari within the party. As for the RSS, it was not involved in this. It was BJP’s decision to appoint a new chief.
Q. But the RSS surely did play an important behind-the-scenes role in the recent happenings in the BJP?
A. RSS’s role is that of a guide and inspiration-giver. It never interferes in BJP matters.
Q. However, some BJP leaders blame the RSS, mainly Mohan Bhagwat, for backing Mr Gadkari’s second term although a majority within the party wanted him to go.
A. I will not say that the RSS was directly involved in the recent happenings in the BJP.
There is no evidence to suggest this. RSS role is that of a guide and being a source of inspiration. As I said before, all the decisions were taken by the party leaders. RSS had no role in any of this.
Q. There have been many meetings between BJP and RSS brass since allegations against Mr Gadkari began to come out.
A. These leaders do not need a particular reason to meet. They meet one another all the time anyway.
Q. What do you say to RSS pracharaks or activists holding organisational posts in the BJP?
A. That is because the BJP welcomes RSS workers. This relationship is more of a spiritual kind. RSS takes interest in BJP but it never interferes in its functioning.
Q. Nitin Gadkari had to quit even when BJP itself had given him a clean chit?
A. I am not going into the probe. But as long as certain perceptions exist, we have to be very careful that we are above board. The overall credibility of politicians is low these days. And there was a growing concern among workers that BJP should look different, act different.
Q. So you think it was necessary for Mr. Gadkari to go?
A. It is not about that. People had started looking at the BJP as the other end of the Congress. There is a national agitation against corruption and Congress is at the receiving end of it. BJP’s ideological quotient is very different from that of the Congress. BJP takes inspiration from Shayma Prasad Mookherjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani. It had to act differently because there was a growing concern among party workers.
Q. What about L K Advani’s role in this entire episode? Speculation is rife that he refused to budge from his demand of replacing Mr Gadkari and was heading the anti-Gadkari campaign?
A. Advani ji a senior politician whose view are taken seriously within the party. He always wants party leaders to follow high standards. He is a guide and a philosopher for the party. Mr Advani expects that the party should be above suspicion. However, the allegation itself is baseless. There was no such thing as an anti-Gadkari campaign. Mr Gadkari himself said that he was resigning as he wanted to clear his name and didn’t want the party’s image to be affected.
Q. So who do you think was behind these allegations?
A. There was a conspiracy by the government and the Congress to malign BJP’s image by making allegations against Nitin Gadkari.
Q. Do you think the BJP achieved anything in the three years Mr Gadkari led it?
A. Definitely. He was successful in involving party workers and he inspired them. He did a lot of work for the organisation.