India to cut a sorry figure for CWG 2010: Dr Harshvardhan

In an exclusive interview with Biplob Ghosal of Zeenews.com, Dr Harshvardhan talks about the slow pace of work for the Commonwealth Games.

As India gears up to host the Commonwealth Games (CWC) 2010, the ongoing preparations for the mega event have come under the scanner. Opposition parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party have severely criticised the arrangements and planning of the prestigious event and have blamed Sheila Dikshit of failing as the Chief Minister. Dr Harshvardhan, BJP’s former Delhi party president, shares his discontent with Biplob Ghosal of Zeenews.com.

Biplob: Recently, Sheila Dikshit said that she is nervous, but satisfied about the Commonwealth Games’ ongoing projects. What’s your take on this? Dr Harshvardhan: (Laughs)…I think that her answer to this question suggests the ground situation and her troubled state of mind due to it. On one hand, she is expressing the state of affairs and on the other hand she is unable to publicly accept the problems. The chairman of the international committee has expressed his concern about the project and sought the intervention of the Prime Minister himself. This speaks about the ground reality. Being a member of DDA and a part of the monitoring committee of the Commonwealth Games, I keep visiting the sites. I can say that the situation is very pitiable, unsatisfactory and the project is running far behind the schedule. We have projects, that are almost 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 percent complete, but there’s hardly any project, which has been completed. There are many projects which have not yet started. Biplob: Are you saying that the project will not be completed on time? Dr Harshvardhan: I don’t want to say that. I have expressed my good wishes for the Commonwealth Games. I want them to happen in the most proper and meticulous fashion. But I have to state the ground reality. The Commonwealth Games Committee is gracious enough to have chosen India to host the Games in spite all this, but spectacular arrangements like during Olympics in China and Commonwealth Games in Melbourne may not be seen in India and ultimately India will cut a sorry figure in front of the whole world. Biplob: If BJP were in power, how would you have gone about it? Dr Harshvardhan: We always believe in meticulousness in everything we do. Unfortunately, what has happened is that the government at the Centre as well as in the state was not sure of getting back to power and that is why they were taking things too casually. Even after coming back to power, they seem hapless and are rushing through projects and that is basically hampering the quality of the projects. Biplob: What did the BJP lack that it lost elections? Dr Harshvardhan: That is a very detailed issue and there cannot be a one-line answer to this. The party is already evaluating the causes. Personally speaking, one party has to win and other has to lose. Both the parties cannot win the elections. Biplob: What is your say on the recent decision that MCD should come under the state government? Dr Harshvardhan: Even after 11 years of her (Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit) rule, or what the people say misrule, she has miserably failed in controlling all departments - whether its power, PWD, Jal Board, transport, traffic jams, Yamuna cleaning project. So, she should first think of restoring order in her own house rather than talking and thinking of other places. We have an elected system in MCD, which is capable of taking stock of the situation. Sheila Dikshit has no moral right to take control of MCD as her government has failed to get even statehood for Delhi. Biplob: How will you stop this move? Dr Harshvardhan: Let them bring the bill in Parliament. We will express our views in Parliament and oppose it strongly. And despite this, if they push it too hard they will suffer. Biplob: Talking about national politics, how has Jinnah controversy affected your party? Dr Harshvardhan: My personal view is that we should not talk about Jinnah or these historical figures. It has already created problems for our party and I do not want to add anything more to it by commenting on this issue. Biplob: Are you following Rajnath Singh’s footsteps by refusing to comment on Jinnah? Dr Harshvardhan: I am not following anybody. I have never spoken about Jinnah. I think nobody should talk about Jinnah, as people like him were responsible for some disturbing questions. Biplob: One question which is on everybody’s mind - do you think EVMs were tampered? Dr Harshvardhan: You see there cannot be tangible proof of such things, but very senior people, who are technically sound, have raised doubts. Former Delhi government chief secretary Umesh Sehgal who is an engineer from IIT has also raised doubts. Even a person like Advaniji has raised doubts. I don’t want to comment on the technical aspects but by and large what we heard is many people said they voted for BJP but the results were not as such. This was baffling! Biplob: But Election Commission chief Navin Chawla has already rejected the allegation of EVMs tempering. Dr Harshvardhan: In terms of authority, they can reject it or accept it, nobody can question them. Biplob: Mohan Bhagwat pitched in for change in leadership. Do you agree with him? Dr Harshvardhan: In our party there is a system that after every three years party president changes, so whether Mohan Bhagwatji says or not, the party president will complete his tenure and leave, which ends this year. Biplob: But what about Advaniji? Dr Harshvardhan: That should be decided by Advaniji himself. He has already expressed his view that he would continue for the next 5 years. If he decides anything else, it is all upto him and leaders like us are no one to comment. Biplob: Narendra Modi was projected as the next PM candidate in 2009 poll campaign. So whom should we expect: Advaniji or Modi in the next LS elections? Dr Harshvardhan: At the moment, only God knows. I think nobody in the party can answer this one. Biplob: Do you see anyone in the party who has a stature of Atalji? Dr Harshvardhan: Every leader has his own individuality. Atalji, not only in BJP but throughout the country, is our most revered leader. In the last 20 years, we have not seen any leader of the stature of Atalji. After Indiraji, we have not seen any other leader like Atalji. He is a politician who will be remembered for ages. Biplob: There have been so many controversies grappling the party - whether its feud within the BJP or leadership issues or indiscipline. Do you think being the party president, Rajnath Singh has risen to the occasion? Dr Harshvardhan: I think he has done quite well and kept the party together. All these small things keep happening in all parties; we are a very strong party, which can tackle such minor issues. We are here for the people and will continue to work for the welfare of the common people. For us, politics is a means of serving people.