The national BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi was recently in Guwahati and talks exclusively to GPlus about why BJP will cross 400 this time
It seems evident that BJP works on a lot of optics and number like “Ab kibaar 400 par”. Do you think that 400+ is going to happen?
Yes, absolutely. I am absolutely convinced. When Modiji won the first time, people had already predicted it. He won the second time with better numbers. I am sure ki abki baar 400 par.
Give me three reasons why BP would win 400 +?
I could give you more than three reasons but since you are asking for three, I would say it’s the faith and credibility of PM. When they say Modi ki guarantee, there is something to it. Look at Guwahati itself, being lifted out of the BPL line. For the first time, there are over 80 cr Indians getting access to free rations. I mean I can go on and on. Until 2014 there were 74 airports. In the last 10yrs there are 75 new. Its huge.
How do you compare the ideologies and internal functioning of AAP and BJP, considering your journey from being part of AAP's founding to becoming a BJP spokesperson?
There is complete consistency. They don’t mince their words. What was a big commitment has happened. They believed in UCC and we are working towards it now. They believed in removing of Article 370 and it has been scrapped. Contrasted with my old party. Kejriwal and others have just flipped flopped over everything. Starting from Lokpal to Swaraj, from mohallasabhas from the ideas of using caste as a plank or not. There is not a single policy point they adhered to.
BJP has been accused of hijacking democratic institutions like the ED, the CBI, the income tax. The arrest of Kejriwal, Hemant Sorain, the freezing of political funding of the Congress. All these are seen as possible moves by the BJP. Do you think this affect’s the BJP’s chances in the elections?
Now you mentioned freezing of accounts. So rules are same for everybody. 2019-2018 the taxes were not paid. There were Rs 303 crore. There was crude along with interest that was Rs 385 crore. So, the income tax department has every right to remind them, question them, flag them or on non-compliance freeze that account. As for Kejriwalji, it was not the BJP that asked him to start the excise policy and tweak it. A new policy where the wholesalers and retailers would have a chance to make a huge profit. The profit margins would go up from 6%-12%. The blacklisted companies would be a part of it. The retailers would have a 185% increase in profit. I don’t think BJP asked Kejriwal to do something as such and its very good that our agencies are active.
Do you think the implementation of CAA will affect BJP’s chances in Assam?
No, I don’t think so, I think CAA has been welcomed. It’s a promise made by none less than Mahatma Gandhi to this country. Whether it’s Mahatma Gandhi or Sardar Vallabhai Patel or even Manmohan Singh, they have all talked about the persecuted minorities. This was a demand for partition. Let them become minorities in the culture and the country and the territory which is always theirs.
So, when you talk about CAA, you are talking about granting citizenship? But Assam is not ready to accept. There are protests that have broken out in upper Assam. Preventive barricades have been placed here.
A lot of rumor mongering and misinformation goes on. Do you remember there was a big protest in which they managed to galvanize a whole lot of Muslims and make them believe that it impacted them. In reality, it does not impact any Indian citizen, Muslim, Sikh or otherwise. This is just to fastrack the citizenship of those who have already been here. It is not that Muslims have been refused. But CAA is particularly for the persecuted minorities in three countries to have them come to India, to avoid religious persecution.
Do you think the Manipur issue will affect BJP?
Not at all. Even if this is the last elections BJP has not at all failed badly. It has done very well in fact. I think when you politicize every issue and just not see the real intent of what the party is doing and confuse judicial decisions and politicize them only because of vote bank politics it’s very unfair.
Do you think Sonam Wangchuk’s fast for Ladakh is going to affect anything?
I think everybody has a right to protest, to fast and he is within his democratic rights to fast and to stage an opinion. Every Indian citizen has a right to protest be it against the Center or state government or one party or the other. I myself have come out of Nirbhaya Andolan, Anna Hazare andolan so I respect that.
Do you think the data of the electoral bonds that have been released affect’s the BJP’s chances in any way?
No because every other party has been a beneficiary. Even the Congress party’s complaint is oh we got less than you I mean, why did you get more than Rs 1000 crore. After all, BJP has more than three hundred seats. So if you look at the records; BJP which has 303 seats has got more than 50% of the bonds which was then constitutional. It’s totally fair. Earlier, cash was used, there was no money trail, no forensic evidence, the money would be sent to the swiss banks. Here it is in the State Bank of India passed by the constitution. The data is available to the electoral commission and the money stays within the country. This was a way to better the system. We actually accept what the Supreme Court has proposed and we welcome it. We will never challenge the Supreme Court. Whatever the institutions are we have to abide by them and have faith in the system.
Do you think at this point the Congress poses any threat to BJP?
No I am afraid not.
Do you think any party poses any threat to BJP?
See, as of now all the parties have tried to get together. They tried to unify against the BJP but couldn’t. So, the very fact that they tried to huddle together, make a coalition is an indication of the fact that they know either by themselves or together, they can’t beat BJP. It’s not me who is saying it. It’s their actions, their fears. Even, the waring factors, the parties who could not see eye to eye tried to get together. This just shows the power and faith in BJP and the credibility of the PM.
When you were practicing journalism, you encouraged to have a healthy opposition because that is what builds a healthy democracy. Today the way as it stands, BJP has literally not left any opposition. With that being said, do you think the journalist in you, do you feel that the democracy is at threat?
The journalist in me believes that people mandate rules. We live in a democracy and we get to decide who rules. And, it is not the responsibility of BJP to work on a healthy opposition. It is up to the different parties to stand up to the challenge to BJP. Other parties have ruled for so many years. BJP started from two seats and has come this far. BJP has been in this run only for 10 yrs. Earlier it was Vajpayee ji’s government. All throughout it has been other parties. How come these questions were not asked ten years earlier. How come Congress managed to rule for so many years? So same way, people believe in Congress now. They believed in Congress then. But BJP has never changed its philosophy, its manifesto. Unlike Congress party.
BJP is keen on discussing the ‘mandir’ and the ‘masjid’, India, Pakistan and Kashmir. Why is it always talking about all these love jihad and does not talk about real issues like crime, corruption, population or joblessness. Why is this not the focused agenda?
First of all, I would like to be very polite and say that I completely disagree with you. The entire politics of other parties was about religious vote banks and religious identities for so many years. They actually started this whole communal politics disguised as communal secularism. BJP has always been consistent on Ram Mandir since there were two member parties. 40% of welfare housing schemes are Muslims. That just goes on to show how poor muslims have been. And that is thanks to so called secular politics. This infamous bigoted form of secularism has hurt the Muslim community the most. The birthrate of Muslim girls and their literacy levels have gone up significantly more in Modi’s time. See the scholarships given to minorities. It has been the highest.
You formerly worked with Arvind Kejriwal. How do feel about the arrest? Do you have an emotion to it?
Yes I do. It was my candidature along with Sisodia’s that was announced by Kejriwal way back when AAP was founded after the Anna Hazare movement. So, I know the inside of the party and when I left in 2014 and I joined BJP. What I say within the party is all coming to light right now. What I saw is the man Kejriwal, because of who many people like me gave up and we contributed. I mean I am very relieved that is has caught up with him. So finally all his misdeeds have caught up.
