Attacking the Narendra Modi-led regime’s flawed China policy for causing the standoff at the Galwan valley, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut charged the Prime Minister for ‘committing the same mistakes as Jawaharlal Nehru’.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal’s Dhaval Kulkarni, Raut claimed that the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was stable regardless of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) claims. Edited excerpts:
What is your opinion about the stand-off with China?
Our relations with China have always been of a greater concern than those with Pakistan. When the late George Fernandes was the defence minister, he referred to China as a bigger enemy for India.
Countries at our borders, like Nepal and Pakistan, are flexing their muscles against us due to China’s incitement. The reason for this is, India’s Prime Minister and others tried to become global leaders, and focused on friendly ties with the United States, France, and Israel, while ignoring relations with our immediate neighbours.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said we can influence history, but not geography. Unfortunately, our ties with our neighbours like China, Pakistan, Nepal, and Afghanistan are not rosy and, hence, our borders are always on the boil.
Narendra Modi has committed the same mistakes as Jawaharlal Nehru when it came to dealing with China. The Chinese President (Xi Jinping) visiting Ahmedabad does not mean China will toe our line. Like during Nehru’s times, China has betrayed us.
The lockdown has been criticized as a sudden and arbitrary measure. Your comments.
The lockdown has been globally used as a temporary measure to break the virus transmission chain. But some states fell short in ensuring hospital beds and providing for migrant labour.
We saw how the health infrastructure in Delhi has all but collapsed. Other states lag behind in testing, unlike developed states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat, where testing numbers are healthy.
How would you rate the state government’s handling of the crisis?
The pandemic began soon after the state government came to power. The situation in Maharashtra has been handled better than that in many other nations. In large cities like Mumbai, facilities for extra beds were created. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray accepted this challenge soon after he took charge. Areas like Dharavi and Worli Koliwada have succeeded in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and this has been appreciated by the central team, WHO and the union Health Ministry.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims that the MVA government will fall under the weight of its contradictions.
This is the BJP’s day-dream. The government is stable and cannot be toppled. The BJP can keep dreaming about it. The government will complete its five-year term.
The Congress does not seem to be too happy with the way in which the government is functioning.
Minor bickerings are normal in an alliance government. Though the Devendra Fadnavis-led regime was stable, there was disgruntlement among the leaders, between the Shiv Sena and BJP, and the party. This will not affect the government’s stability.
Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that the NCP was in negotiations with the BJP before the MVA came to power…
Sharad Pawar has responded and said Fadnavis has ample time at hand. Why dwell on the past? Now the NCP is in the government, and Sharad Pawar is guiding it.
Despite the Shiv Sena being in power, Saamna often takes a critical stance against parties in the ruling coalition.
For Saamna, the government in power does not matter. It has an independent line. Even during (late Shiv Sena supremo) Balasaheb Thackeray’s time, Saamna took a stance critical of the government despite Manohar Joshi being the chief minister. It is the mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena, and not that of the government.
