At the first day of his ‘Kisan Yatra’ President of Punjab Congress Captain Amarinder Singh talks exclusively to The Quint.
While discrediting the ruling SAD-BJP alliance and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as opponents, he thrashed Navjot Singh Sidhu for his flip-flop attitude.
The former Army officer says what we call surgical strikes now, in his days with the Army, they used to call them ‘raids’. He also wants Priyanka Gandhi to come and campaign for the party in Punjab.
First of all what is the basic purpose of this yatra?
This yatra is for Kisaans (farmers). On 1 September (actually he wanted to say 1 October) they (BJP-SAD ruling government) announced that they will lift the paddy crop but today 15 days have been passed and no crop is being lifted. Farmers have been in the mandis for last 10-12 days. They are saying that moisture is 17-and-half percent or something like that whereas in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana they are picking it up for 22 percent moisture. This is just a question of willingness, they are just not doing it. What is the reason I will tell you. The longer you keep it, the more frustrated the farmer gets, more cheaper is the price. I have seen in Batala and Dera Baba Nanak that paddy was lifted by private vendors. Against MSP (minimum support price) of Rs 1,510 it was lifted for Rs 1,100 which means the loss of Rs 410 and where that money is going? Adathiya and Akali Jathedars are sharing that loot.
But Aam Aadmi Party is also talking a lot about the farmer. They also released a farmer manifesto. Then how are your promises different?
We are a tried and tested party. I have been chief minister for five years. People have seen that we have delivered on time. Nobody sat in the mandi overnight. No money is given to them. Today even after 15 days nobody has lifted anything.
Who is you enemy number one – old opponent BJP-Akali or new opponent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)?
Nobody is our opponent. We are well ahead. Akali-BJP are clear from the scene and Aam Aadmi party (AAP) is fast disappearing from the scene. So there is nothing we are worried about. We are going ahead. We have got tremendous support from all sections of the society and I am not worried at all about any of these parties.
What is the status of Navjot Singh Sidhu? Is Congress party going to have any pre poll, post poll or strategic alliance with him?
I have said many times and I repeat it once more that anybody who wishes to join us including Mr and Mrs Sidhu, Bains brothers, including Pragat Singh will have to join the party, number one. We are not going to do any alliances with anybody. Congress party is a 120-year-old party. We don’t do alliances with parties who are few days old. So that is the one thing. Other thing is as far as these people are concerned they will have to accept the policies and programs of Congress party and then we can consider them. And third thing is maintaining discipline. Sidhu for last 10 years had a blast in his old party that can’t happen in Congress party. We don’t take this nonsense. They have to function as disciplined members of the party and then anybody can come and join. No outside alliances.
These days there is a lot of politics around surgical strikes against Pakistan. Do you think it’s going to have any impact on elections and it will help BLP-SAD?
Not at all... Not at all... What you call surgical strikes, is what we in the army used to call raids. Raids are going on Indo-Pak border from the time not now but when I was in the army. And that’s 50-odd years away. Even General Bikram Singh on television said that I did a raid. So these raids carry on. Nothing is so spectacular. So our soldiers have died. They fought very well in this raid. It’s pity that people are trying to make political capital out of it. First the boys who died we should remember them. We retaliated and our army did extremely well. And we should congratulate them and not try to take advantage of the situation politically.
Rahul Gandhi spent more than one month in Uttar Pradesh. And if you say that your party has better chances in Punjab, don’t you think that he should also spend time here?
He will come, Sonia ji will come, Priyanka will come. I shall ask all three to come. Question is the appropriate time. I don’t want them to go in small functions like we are doing. I want them to address huge rallies so that more people can meet them.
You want Priyanka Gandhi to come for campaign.
I want Sonia ji to come, Priyanka to come, Rahul to come. I want all three to come.
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