| Your suspension appears to be a punishment for attacking Sonia Gandhi in public. Don't you think you had this coming? I still maintain that I did not "attack" Sonia Gandhi. I have, till date, written three letters to Sonia Gandhi. One, when workers at the Hero Honda factory were attacked by the police in Gurgaon, another when Dalits were killed in riots in Gohana and the third when the Reliance SEZ issue came up. In all the three letters, I was reflecting the sentiments of people who elected me. Tell me, was what I did, so wrong? When the Samjhauta Express blasts happened, I urged Sonia Gandhi to visit the bereaved camping in Panipat, rather than hold a rally in Sirsa to celebrate Bhupinder Singh Hooda's year in government. I thought that she would see the point of what I had said, but she didn't and I got this suspension letter. |
| Have you tried to talk to Sonia Gandhi about it? Yes, I have spoken to her in person, at least twice. She has always been reasonable with me and I thought that I had explained my position and reasons to her. |
| Don't you think that your grievance with the Congress high command had more to do with your father not being made Haryana chief minister rather than issues facing the people? That's (Bhajan Lal not being made CM) in the past, over a year has gone by, and tall leaders like my father don't really hanker after these posts. My taking up issues close to the people is not because of that. I have come into politics not because of the Congress or any other party, but because of my own ideas about serving the people. All the issues that I have raised are people centric, for which I have been punished by this letter of suspension. But I feel that Sonia Gandhi is being misled by the Congress high command, and the coterie which surrounds her. Such people are drawing the party away from the common man. |
| Tell me, what was wrong in wanting the Congress president to meet people who have lost family members in a train blast on Indian soil. Was it more important to attend a rally celebrating your government's first or even tenth anniversary. I had to take the matter up and Mrs Gandhi was poisoned against me. Looking at the letter of suspension, it seems that even the party is confused over what they want to suspend me for. |
| Who do you mean when you say "coterie" surrounding Sonia Gandhi? Everyone knows who these people are, I need not elaborate or take names. I have already been suspended from the party, let me not create more bad blood. Even Mrs Gandhi knows who these people are. |
| Before attacking Gandhi, you were attacking your own party's government in the state over the Reliance SEZ issue. This is when Haryana has one of the more generous compensation packages in India. Do you have something against the business house? Do you live in Gurgaon? Or do you know someone who has bought property there? In such a situation, how can you call the compensation package generous? Ask anyone in Gurgaon how they would feel when a Rs 3.5 crore property they own will be acquired for a mere Rs 22 lakh? It's not fair and the government should not act like an agent of business houses. Nobody took me seriously the first time I raised this issue. You journalists laughed at me at a press conference at my Pandara Road residence and didn't write a word, and now this issue is burning up the country. Today, the prime minister, finance minister, and even Sonia Gandhi is expressing the same sentiments, but they are not being called anti-government. |
| So, what was so wrong in what I said. As for Mukesh Ambani, I don't know him, I have never met him and I have nothing against him except the fact that the government seems to be acting against its own people's interest in order to benefit him. |
| You seem to be bitter. Is that fair after the party gave you a chance to be an MP? The Congress party sent me to Bhiwani (his Lok Sabha constituency) to finish my political career rather than give me a fair chance at it. Bhiwani is a seat which has never been won by a Congressman. I was pitted against the chief minister's son (Abhay Chautala, son of Om Prakash Chautala) and a former chief minister's son (Surinder Singh, son of Bansi Lal) and yet emerged the winner. My victory in Bhiwani proved to be a gateway for the Congress in Haryana. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was demoralised after Chautala lost and the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) headed by Bansi Lal had to merge with the Congress to survive, which is why the Congress won with such a huge majority in the Assembly elections in the state later. |
| Rather than the Congress, it is through the blessings of Bhajan Lalji that I won, people in the party expected me to lose such a tough election. It is due to Bhajan Lalji that I continue to remain in politics. |
| Your brother Chandramohan is still the Haryana deputy chief minister. Is he going to follow you out of Congress? What does your father say about this? I don't know about Chandramohan, you will have to ask him about his plans. As for my father, everything I do is with his blessings. |
| Are you going to float a new political outfit to take on the Congress? I really don't know, but I will be discussing the matter with my father and my supporters. I will also be taking my constituents in Bhiwani into confidence before deciding on any course of action. As of now, I have only been suspended from the party, not expelled, I remain a member of Parliament. |
| Frankly speaking, were you expecting the suspension, did you perhaps bring it on yourself? You have been spoiling for a fight. No comment (smiles). Why would you think that I brought this on myself. |
Top Section
Explore Business Standard