Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot accused the BJP of raking up the mandir-masjid debate 10 days before the elections as they have nothing to show in terms of their work. Pilot, who is being seen as the CM face by many, accused Vasundhara Raje government of being corrupt and not having acted swiftly on the anti-social elements. He went on to say that nobody knew the word lynching four years ago and that CM Vasundhara Raje failed to act on the matter. 

 

Sahin Pilot, who was in conversation exuded confidence that the next CM will be from the Congress. He said CM Vasundhara will have to pay for her actions and the campaigns by PM Modi and Amit Shah will not be able to save her. 

 

On being asked about Rahul Gandhi being a Shiv bhakt, Pilot said the Congress president did not seek votes in the name of religion and one is free to go to any religious place. He wondered why the BJP is upset over it. 

 

 

Here are the edited excerpts from the interview: 

 

Q: You represent a breed of young, vibrant politicians in the Congress. Would you agree that people like you bring in something new to the table?

 

Sachin Pilot: The word young is very relative. At 40, you’re supposed to be young in politics but the average young man is much younger than that. By that account, I’m much older than the average Indian. But, I agree with you that we need to be in step with the changing times. The Congress party has been at the forefront of not only allowing young people in leadership roles but in also empowering a generation of young politicians who can achieve a lot more in terms of imagination, ideation, creativity, capacity. We have really tried to give as many tickets as possible to young candidates — there are 45 candidates below the age of 40 this time. I must thank Congress president Rahul Gandhi for that.

 

Q: And you also have a sizeable chunk of first-time voters this time around?

 

Sachin Pilot: Young people need to know that they can become stakeholders in any party and government. Reaching out to young people is not just symbolism but a commitment that their voices will be heard. We must deliver on the aspirations of the young people. When we form the government in Rajasthan, youngsters must feel like they are a part of the governance. And hence the distance between politicians and people must be bridged.

 

Q: This is your first Assembly election and you are contesting from Tonk. You have said that you agreed to contest on the orders of Rahul Gandhi and on the request made by Ashok Gehlot. Were you keen on fighting this election? Do you see it as an exciting challenge?

 

Sachin Pilot: I’ve been the Congress president of the state for five years and the task given to me by the then Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was that I must go and rebuild the party. Five years ago, we were reduced to 21 seats out of 200. So we built the organisation brick by brick. Every single Congress leader in the state has contributed. It’s been the collective leadership. And the responsibility that I’m given, I try and discharge it with all the honesty and commitment that I have. So when the Congress party asks me to contest, the Congress president asks me to contest, of course, I’ll contest. I’ve fought many elections before. This is my first election in the Assembly. I’m very thankful and happy that I’ve been asked to contest and the party has asked me to contest from Tonk constituency. It will be an honour to represent the people of Tonk.

 

Q: How different it is to contest an Assembly election?

 

Sachin Pilot: Every election is different. I’ve fought a few parliamentary elections. I’ve raised issues that are constructive that have helped people at large and elections should be fought on real issues - education, employment, healthcare, sanitation. Things that can do good for the people. Sadly, the BJP tries to change the narrative by bringing in issues of religion, caste, etc. I don’t think that’s what India needs today.

 

Q: Your candidacy has resulted in the BJP fielding a Muslim candidate, Yunus Khan, for the first time. How do you look at this?

 

Sachin Pilot: Is it not about fielding a Hindu or a Muslim. The question should be what vision you have for Tonk? The drinking water is poor, the roads are terrible, people feel that there are not enough industries there. We should be fighting elections on those issues as opposed to if he is a Muslim, I’m a Hindu. It doesn’t matter what religion we belong to. The problem with the BJP is that they have nothing to show for. Vasundhara Raje’s government has failed miserably on all fronts. Therefore, the last resort for them is to talk about mandir, masjid and caste. It’s irrelevant. People fight elections on issues. Yonus khan is a sitting minister, he is the second most important person after Vasundhara Raje ji in the state. He was elected MLA from Nagaur. He was denied a ticket because the BJP wanted to replicate the UP template of not fielding any Muslim candidate in Rajasthan. Now, as luck would have it, the Tonk Assembly constituency forced the BJP not to replicate a negative political landscape that they created in UP. The only reason he has been granted a ticket in Tonk is also because of the religion he belongs to. His working, his capacity, his strengths have no consequence. So this kind of politics is not a positive indication for times to come. We must look for what’s good for people, ideology and real issues.

 

Q: It has been a high-octane campaign. The Ram Mandir promise has resurfaced. Both Yogi Adityanath, BJP’s star campaigner, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have made a high pitch for it. The Shiv Sena has jumped in as well. Why do you think Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has become a part of the political discourse this election season?

 

Sachin Pilot: Isn’t it curious. During the four and a half years, there was no mention of temples, masjid, etc. I don’t think it’s the job of political parties or governments to make churches, gurudwara and temples. They must keep politics and religion aside. But when all else has failed, like the GST, demonetisation, skill India, make in India they have no answers to give. So what they do is they start talking about temples, masjid and all. I think people have moved on from there. Twenty-first century India needs a good and secure environment for business to take place. They need jobs, they need food security. Farmers need adequate prices for their crop. Nobody is willing to talk about that. Today cooking oil costs nearly a thousand rupees. Petrol diesel prices have skyrocketed - they want to avoid discussing those issues that’s why these religiously emotive topics are talked about. But people can see through all this.

 

Q: You’ve been campaigning extensively on the ground, do you see the Mandir debate resonating on the ground?

 

Sachin Pilot: I don’t think so. How many times can you serve the same propaganda as elections come around. I find it amusing that 10 days before elections, people start talking about religious issues. For the last four and a half years, what did the government of India do, what did Vasundhara ji do? People want to know that. Close to 130 farmers have committed suicide in Rajasthan. Four young boys killed themselves in Alwar because they couldn’t find jobs. We must introspect. It’s not a political issue, but it certainly is a societal issue. We must focus on where we want the state to go. Mob lynching, cow vigilantism, the venom in society, the caste conflicts in Rajasthan are serious issues. There are 13 rapes every day in Rajasthan. I’m absolutely certain that on December 7, the people will vote on these issues and not the peripheral emotive topics that the BJP wants to propagate.

 

Q: The Alwar lynching created a lot of noise. Do you think lynching has become a common word in the state?

 

Sachin Pilot: The word mob lynching didn’t exist in our dictionary four years ago. Who are the people responsible for supporting these anti-social elements. There have been anti-social elements for a long time but certain powers give them the help and assurance that they can get away with murder. That’s not acceptable in a civilised society. If the CM had put her foot down the first time such an incident happened, other people would not have dared to commit such crimes. You can’t kill somebody purely on the basis of suspicion. There’s no law and order. The only reason Vasundhara Raje ji has stayed in power is because she tried to shield those officers and politicians who are involved in sand mafia, liquor mafia, mining mafia. People have seen through this. The time has come for people to speak and the Congress party will get the blessings of Rajasthan. The hard work of all our leaders who have worked together will pay off and we will form a government that will be for the people.