Patna, Aug 7 (IANS) Maintaining that he considers Trinamool Congress supremo and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as his “only leader”, MP Shatrughan Sinha said that General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has also contributed significantly to the party and even called him “one of the best orators” in the Parliament.
In an exclusive interaction with IANS, the actor-turned-politician also hailed Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor’s landslide victory in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar.
Excerpts from the interview:
IANS: There have been so many defections from the Trinamool Congress, but you have continued to maintain support for Mamata Banerjee. What do you have to say about that?
Shatrughan Sinha: The way I had lost the election from Patna (while contesting as a Congress candidate in 2019), no one came to enquire about my well-being. I have been in Parliament since 1996… but during that difficult phase, nobody came to ask about me or check on me. Only Mamata Banerjee called me personally. It showed the trust she had in me.
Without even asking me, she announced my name for the Asansol (parliamentary) bypoll after Babul Supriyo resigned from the BJP. I had never even visited Asansol before, though I had been a star campaigner for the BJP for nearly 30 years and travelled across the country.
After announcing my name, Mamata ‘Didi’ told me about it; at that time I did not even know about the bypoll. Following that, I went to Asansol and filed my nomination, and the rest is history. I won by a record margin.
Since then, I worked with Mamata ji as she is a great leader, connected to the ground, a street fighter and a strong personality.
When I badly lost the election from Patna, only Mamata ji stood by me. Today it is a difficult phase for her…so many things took place during the Bengal election. SIR, which led to the removal of around 60-65 lakh names due to alleged discrepancies. Despite that, her vote share reduced only by 3-4 per cent compared to the ruling party.
However, the number of seats was less, and on top of it, some people exchanged sides as a result of panic reaction. Many run away when a boat starts to sink.
Several allegations were made against me as well; that’s when I thought it is important to clarify. I am a person with morality and principles who believes in the concept of ‘once a friend, always a friend’. Neither do I fall into any greed nor am I afraid of anything. So, I publicly declared that I am with Mamata Banerjee.
IANS: The rebel leaders have particularly targeted Abhishek Banerjee. How do you look at it?
Sinha: Abhishek Banerjee is not my leader. Neither do I know him that much nor do I consider him (my leader). My leader is only Mamata Banerjee, and no one else. Others are my colleagues.
However, Abhishek Banerjee is a very capable person, a good human being and a strong leader. Just like Rahul Gandhi, Sanjay Singh…I believe Abhishek Banerjee is one of the best orators in Parliament, who presents his views with facts, truth and logic.
Regarding the complaints against Abhishek Banerjee, it began around a month after the (Trinamool Congress) lost the Assembly polls. Before that, all of them (rebel leaders) were listening to him, and he was the one running the organisation.
Along with him, they (rebel leaders) started defaming I-PAC. It’s good that Prashant Kishor had left I-PAC by then; otherwise, people would have said negative things about him too.
All this was the result of panic and frustration of the defeated people. Suddenly they turned against Didi (Mamata Banerjee) as well, who was earlier a motherly figure according to them.
More than anger, I was amused by them.
IANS: What are your views on Prashant Kishor’s victory in the Bankipur bypoll?
Sinha: I have been saying this from the beginning that Prashant Kishor is very capable. The mantra with which I came into politics has been successfully upheld by Kishor that ‘if good people are not ready to enter into politics, they should be ready to be governed by bad people’.
He (Kishor) is an educated, mature and capable man, having knowledge about the country and even the world.
I was surprised that Kishor was being labelled as an ‘outsider’, despite contesting within Patna. I was called the same when I contested from Asansol (in West Bengal), at that time I responded that if Indira Gandhi could contest polls from Rae Bareli, Sushma Swaraj from Karnataka, and George Fernandes from Muzaffarpur and most importantly if Prime Minister Narendra Modi can contest from Varanasi instead of Gujarat, then why can’t me and Prashant Kishor do the same despite hailing from a different state and different district respectively.
The man whose party failed to win a single seat last year defeated the arrogance of the BJP, which had claimed its dominance over the (Bankipur) seat…This is people’s power.
IANS: After Jantar Mantar protests, a similar agitation is underway in Jharkhand. How do you look at it?
Sinha: The students’ demands are justified, and they deserve justice. Question papers related to various examinations have repeatedly got leaked, not just once but many times, and the government has failed to stop them and has been only giving assurances without resolving the issue.
Whether it is the protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar or the agitation by students in Jharkhand…If the government does not act, people will naturally come forward and raise their voices against such failed policies and their concerns will have to be addressed.
IANS: What are your expectations from the BJP government in West Bengal?
Sinha: I have expectations from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari that he should work for the development of Bengal. And also, Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee; personally, I know they are all good people.
They should ensure the rule of law, peace and harmony in the state. Bengal, especially Asansol, is known as a city of brotherhood where people of all religions live together with mutual respect.
–IANS
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