Sri Krishen Kaw
Jammu: The recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament, News Insider 24×7 Jammu intended to cover the session directly to give a wider reach to people of Jammu and Kashmir and in this regard, it was for the first time that a Jammu based news portal took a lead in covering the monsoon session of Parliament directly from New Delhi.
The team of News Insider 24×7 digital channel led by its editor in chief Masood Malik conducted exclusive interviews of various political top brass during the session, among them one was with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi. He has been a critic of BJP Government all along, here are some excerpts of his exclusive interview with Masood Malik.
Masood Malik: You have been continuously criticizing Bhartiya Janata Party for its politics of religion, how do you see it?
Imran Pratapgarhi: It is a fact that the political agenda of Bharatiya Janata Party revolves somewhere around the religious politics. As an MP of Rajya Sabha, as a Congress party minority department Chairman, as a responsible citizen of India and also as a poet it is my duty to put forth my views about the political proposals for grabbing of power of the Government before the people and of course I am a vocal, that is why you feel that I speak on issues loudly. But I think everyone should speak on each and every issue.
Masood Malik: You say that inflation is so high that Tomato like vegetables have touched sky high prices while as BJP claims that nation has witnessed real Independence since 2014 only otherwise Congress had suppressed different communities for the last over 70 years to rule the roost?
Imran Pratapgarhi: Bharatiya Janata Party is a Party of liars. Once Nitish Kumar (JD) said in Bihari accent that BJP means ‘Bhout Jhootha Party’. Because everyone in BJP tells a lie right from a single leader to a minister and even prime minister himself is a big liar. Actually, if BJP had wished it would have had done several fundamental tasks in last nine years for the people but BJP failed to do so at all fronts. In spite some tasks under some Government schemes that were started in previous regimes by changing their titles were taken up by them to fall into their kitty. Otherwise, their all promises fall flat at a time when they used to raise slogans like ‘Mehangai ki Maar’ ‘Abki baar Modi Sarkar’. At that point of time prices of petrol/diesel per ltr was @Rs 58 to Rs 60, LPG Rs 475 but now see the difference presently it has gone three times higher so you can understand how inflation has impacted on the living of a commoner. BJP has also failed to provide proper protection to women as all of us have witnessed what happened with them in UP, Kathua and so on. Many BJP leaders were in jails for rape allegations and some took out protest rallies to protect the accused in Arifa case of Kathua. In recent past we have witnessed gruesome picture of Manipur. So this proves that BJP’s whole foundation is laid on big lies only and it has failed to keep their promises with the general public at all fronts.
Masood Malik: Home Minister Amit Shah complaints in Parliament that when he wanted to address any sensitive issue here, Congress creates hurdles, uproar?
Imran Pratapgarhi: Being part and parcel of Parliament I can say that BJP misleads, it says something in the Parliament where as it says something else outside the Parliament to the media persons. When designated members raise a question about Manipur where our two daughters were marched naked before thousands of people and gang raped, on such a heinous and sensitive issue our prime minister keeps mum and if opposition demands an answer for it, notices were being served to them under Article 267 and pleas on those notices were not accepted in spite. AAP MP Sanjay Singh is a gory example who was suspended. We have been staging protests along with our alliance members for several nights for his restoration but still not a single word was uttered by the prime minister on Manipur where more than 165 people got killed in violence.
Masood Malik: People are expecting something better for themselves as well as country in terms of passing of bills etc in monsoon session but after watching TV we see all contrast to it?
Imran Pratapgarhi: It is true that no heed is being paid to the issues raised by the opposition. MP of opposition urges to speak on serious issues like inflation, twenty thousand crore rupees held by Adani and Manipur violence but BJP creates uproar and this is how the democracy gets uprooted in the Parliament by the ruling Party.
Masood Malik: You have been raising voice over Manipur violence for the last nearly three months, why PM and BJP are silent on such a sensitive issue?
Imran Pratapgarhi: Obviously prime minister does not uttered even a single word on the issue it is only because there will be a volley of questions that they have to face which will expose them and their designs, so they prefer not to answer. Even my question is same why PM does not speak in the Parliament. ‘Quoting a verse Tuj Ko Kitno Ka Lahoo Chahiye Arz e Watan, Kitni Aahon Se Tera Kaleja Thanda Hoga’. More than 165 people got killed, thousands of people are lingering in relief camps, property worth crore was damaged, religious places were destroyed, women were marched naked and gang raped but PM and BJP have nothing to say.
Masood Malik: Govt data about Manipur is much worse than what is told to people?
Imran Pratapgarhi: That is a fact. Govt figures on violence can’t be complied with what happened on ground. I was shocked to watch TV interview of Manipur CM when he said that there were many incidents like this in Manipur. If a province is burning for the last three months you can imagine how many lives would have claimed it because Manipur issue not a small issue, it is a very big issue.
Masood Malik: Though there has been no talks on Manipur but demand raises that your alliance partner I.N.D.I.A should be removed from the Parliament, what do you say?
Imran Pratapgarhi: Basically, BJP does not want to abide with the Constitution. They want to maintain their own supremacy and it is in their DNA right from the beginning to remove names of anything they like. They can remove the word I.N.D.I.A from the Parliament similarly.
Masood Malik: Why you face embarrassment after Ghulam Nabi Azad deserted Congress?
Imran Pratapgarhi: First of all, we should ask people of Jammu and Kashmir that when Mr Azad was in the party, he used to chant Congress, Congress, Rahul ji, Rahul ji but as soon as he was ousted for his in disciplinary activities everything seemed to him to be wrong in the Congress party. But how he forgot when he was being made Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and enjoying a status of cabinet minister that time it was same Rahul ji whom he maltreats today.
Masood Malik: Why Mr Azad was not part of I.N.D.I.A alliance, didn’t your party invited Mr Azad in alliance making ceremony or he skipped it himself?
Imran Pratapgarhi: You should have asked this question to Mr Azad yourself. Possibly he may have invitations from some other corners. Basically, at present it is a very tough time for doing politics and such people fail to struggle because they cannot live without holding a post. If you are unable to dance on the tunes of BJP then you will be put behind the bars. I want to quote my verse here for this situation:-
“Kante Gul ke sath nahi chal sakte, Buzdil khul ke sath nahi chal sakte, Raste mai chod gya jo usey jane do Har koi Rahul ke sath chal nhi sakte”. (Thorns and flowers can’t go together, cowards and open minded can’t go together, who so ever left it in midway let them go everyone can’t dare to go together with Rahul)
Masood Malik: Congress levels allegations on BJP that it spread hatred all over the country and for the last nine years of BJP rule things worsened in the country, what will you say in a conclusion?
Imran Pratapgarhi: According to slogan of Rahul ji that I have opened a shop of love for all and by 2024 this love shop will transform into a big mall, that is it .BJP disqualified Rahul from Parliament, snatched his home and we kicked them out of Karnataka and in coming days they will met the same fate in other states too. Everyone is afraid of BJP at this point of time in the country but since I.N.D.I.A alliance came into being Bhartiya Janata Party begins to shiver.
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