MULAYAM SINGH YADAV: I feel Indian politics are in crisis. Earlier, the differences among politicians were ideological, not personality-based. I joined politics during my college days and attended training camps for as long as a week under the guidance of Ram Manohar Lohia. But today’s politics give little guidance, and there are no principles. Now, the criteria for giving party ticket to a candidate in an election is his ability to spend money and use force. Another problem is the politics of two national parties — Congress and BJP. They are losing people’s mandate because of they have lied to the public and made false promises. In UP, all political parties are angry with my government, except the CPM, which seems to be firmly supporting the Samajwadi Party. The others don’t want SP to retain power. They don’t want SP to emerge as a power in north India. Congress and BJP cannot think of ruling at the Centre without having a hold over UP. That is why they are desperate, and it seems they would stoop to any level to come to power there. But they can’t rule UP. I am going to be back. Contrary to what you may be hearing from the media, UP is doing well. In last two years, investment worth Rs 36,000 crore has been made in the state. Investors have appreciated the steps taken by our government for creating conducive environment for industrialisation. We have also worked a lot on health and education. There are around 30 to 40 primary schools being built in UP every week. Apart from that, a record number of roads and bridges are being constructed. I have opened 380 big bridges to public already. There were many bad roads like those in Bihar, which were repaired. Only a small part of UP has been left out but construction there will begin soon. In agriculture, farmers in UP have got the best price for their products. We have paid Rs 20,000 crore against Rs 11,000 crore by previous government as payment for sugarcane alone. The Centre’s policy is in sharp contrast to ours — it’s anti-farmer. For instance, the Centre fixed a price of Rs 650 a quintal for buying wheat from farmers. I wrote to them, saying that the rate must be increased. Now, the same government that was not willing to pay Rs 900 a quintal is importing wheat from Australia at Rs 995. We are buying wheat from abroad while private and multinational companies are reaching farmers’ doors in UP and buying wheat from them at Rs 900-950. And farmers are selling to them. I am afraid the time will soon come when we will not have a grain of wheat if the government pursues such anti-farmer policy. The employment situation in UP is better now, and so is power supply. I think a healthy and educated country is a powerful country. This is why I have focused on health. My government has resolved to open four medical colleges in the state. One has already been opened while three will in July. The World Bank chief and the Planning Commission have praised the government for its development work. So the opposition is actually left with no issues against me. That is why all are taking up the law and order situation. But even there, I have the data to prove that UP is one of the best-governed states in the country. A central agency has said that the state of Delhi and Mumbai are worse than UP. ON NOIDA SERIAL KILL-INGS: Nithari murders were an act of negligence by the police. The lives of many children could have been saved, but the police failed in their job. I sent officers to the village to find out what went wrong and they have found serious negligence. That’s why I suspended six senior police officers. All my sympathy goes to the victims. We have given compensation to them and we will give more. But the opposition’s demand for the dismissal of my government is absurd. I ask Congress and BJP to account for their silence when Gujarat was burning, when humanity was being murdered. And was Congress not trying to shield Manu Sharma because he was son of a former Congress minister in Haryana? And the even bigger question is: Is Delhi safe today? NEHA SINHA: In Nithari, many families whose children went missing were never allowed to file an FIR. Is that how the police are in your state? I accept that there were serious lapses. That is why I have punished erring officers. Many more lives would have been saved had the police been alert. But do not forget that it is the police who unearthed the case. The media reached the scene later. Today, the Centre wants a CBI probe into the matter, but if UP police can come under pressure from the state government, can’t the CBI face the same from the Centre? SHISHIR GUPTA: The children went missing over last three years. You know in police meetings on law and order, all cases including those of missing persons are discussed. Doesn’t it mean that no cases were being registered in the first place? You are right. Cases were not being registered, that is why I have given them such strict punishment. I know the police did not behave well with locals. Had the police been helpful, the villagers would have said a lot about the suspect and how the children went missing. SHISHIR GUPTA: Will you go to Nithari? No, I won’t. Whenever I go to a troubled spot, all administrative attention is focused on me. I am planning to send a senior officer or Amar Singh, instead. VARGHESE K GEORGE: You have claimed that law and order situation in UP is among the best in the country. If the police do not register FIRs, then it will obviously result in low crime data, won’t it? No, the number (of unregistered cases) will be included. I again say I accept the responsibility. It was a heinous crime. I also need support of all to deal with the problem. But please don’t do politics over dead bodies. GAUTAM CHIKERMANE: You have always said that you will make UP Uttam Pradesh (Quality State) but it has become Adrishya Pradesh (Invisible State) with these missing FIRs. It’s a fake claim, isn’t it? This is not correct. I have strictly ordered the police to file reports and take action. Don’t go by what you read or see on TV. Go to a UP village and ask people how the law and order is there. VRINDA GOPINATH: Will Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh be a part of your alliance in the forthcoming UP elections? Yes, I hope he will. Talks are on. The date of the elections have not yet been announced, so there is time. RAVISH TIWARI: You said political differences should not become personal but you yourself never utter Mayawati’s name. I have never attacked any leader personally. Atalji has always criticised me but I never responded. I criticise a government’s policies, not individuals. I have never said anything personal against Mayawatiji, too, though she has always criticised me. When I took over as a CM, I asked Mayawatiji to see me whenever she wished. I am still waiting, however. ANANDA MAJUMDAR: Besides CPM, which does not have much of a base in UP, all political parties have turned against you. Why? The folks in Delhi are always unhappy with UP chief ministers. For instance, the BJP changed three chief ministers there. So did Nehruji. MANINI CHATTERJEE: You always talked about socialism. What socialist policies have you implemented in UP? We have given slogans like Roti-kapra sasta ho, dawa-padhai muft ho. In this spirit, it is only UP where medicine and education are free. SHEKHAR GUPTA: What’s the reason that the national highway projects have stalled in UP? I am not to blame for the delay. The projects are not under me. CITHARA PAUL: What is your view on the likely formation of a national-level Muslim party? Will such a group be against SP’s interests? I do not know the motive behind the formation of such a party. But BJP will be very happy to see such a front in UP. The BJP wants polarisation of the society on communal lines. PAMELA PHILIPOSE: Will Amitabh Bachchan campaign for the SP in UP polls? No he won’t. Woh bahut bare kalakar hain. But Jayaji will. TEENA THACKER: What’s your government doing to eradicate polio, given that sections of a particular community are boycotting the drops? I have set up an inquiry commission as it is a matter of grave concern to my government. But all is not bad in UP. The state has been able to largely eradicate polio. Just after I took over, the numbers came down, but then a few cases came up, totalling 40 or 42. So a false impression was created that there is a big increase in polio cases. RAVISH TIWARI: Lalu Prasad Yadav has said that Rahul Gandhi should be Congress’s chief ministerial candidate in UP. He also says he is the future prime minister. Do you also consider yourself a future PM? Lalu has become a Congress sycophant. Who stops the Congress from projecting Rahul? Lalu may become the prime minister because he is in waiting. I am neither in waiting nor in the fray. Kahne se koi pradhan mantri banta hai kya? Anyway, I came very close to being PM in 1996. CPM's Harkrishen Singh Surjit told me that I would be PM and asked me to speak to Karunanidhi. When I met him he wanted me to accept three conditions if I became PM: first, not to dismiss the BSP government in UP at the time, second, not attack English too much, and the third, he asked me not to disclose the fact that I could be PM to anyone as there were certain people in the Front who did not want me for the job. RAVISH TIW-ARI: You have rich friends, and you go to big parties. Are you a five-star socialist? Can you say Gandhi was not true to his principles because he had the Birlas among his friends? Lohia and JP too had rich friends. SHISHIR GUPTA: On a more serious note, is Ayodhya still an issue? Ayodhya will never be an issue again. The national politics have changed and there is no room for cynical campaigns like that. It’s all about development now.
