Ghar wapsi campaign will not affect muslim votes, claims BJP's Dr Nand Kishore Garg

Milan Sharma/ iamin

Dr Nand Kishore Garg, a senior BJP leader and Ex- MLA from Trinagar Assembly constituency in Delhi, talks to iamin about increasing the hunger for development. Garg also sheds light on why Ghar Wapsi campaign will not create a negative impact on Muslim voters in his constituency.

What is the voter base in your constituency?

The Tri Nagar Constituency is composed of villages, JJ colonies, which came up in the 60s. Today, there is a mixture of commercial as well as residential crowd. In 1993, the seats we fought for were fewer in number. After delimitation, the assembly constituency came under areas where around 10,000 negative votes came towards me and the positive votes from Keshav Puram and other areas went to the Wazirpur constituency.

What changes have you seen observed since the 1990s?

I have been associated with Tri Nagar since the 1960s and I enjoy a personal rapport here. I have closely witnessed the development in this area.The population has increased by three times since 90s that has affected the drainage system in the area. 

There is more vertical growth. Now there are five storeyed houses in the constituency. Shakurpur basti, JJ colony, Pitampura Gaon and Kohat Enclave have come up after 2008. The issue of traffic jams and parking woes have also cropped up in two decades. 

How does the functioning of civic bodies get affected if the same party is ruling at the centre and state level?

There are many other things which come under PWD, DTC and DUSIB, they are all under Delhi government today.  However, smaller roads, cleaning, sanctioning of maps and layout plans are still under MCD. The funds for the expenditure in the constituency come to the MLA, at least half of which go to MCD.

However, the Joint Engineers (JE), who are appointed for a two year term, are more accountable to the local councilors. The JE will only contact the MLA if he needs the funds. If the centre government is different then there are issues in expenditure of grants. We only get only about 10 percent electricity from our own state resources, 90 percent we are dependent on other states. Our problems come from the outside and so do our solutions. If the government at both these levels is similar, there will be no excuse not to work.

You say you are getting less votes from Shakurpur Basti which largely constitues of Muslim  population. Do you think that the Ghar wapsi campaign by RSS can affect your voters in this area?

Sangh’s thoughts stem from the deep rooted casteism that was prevalent in society at the time. They said that while we are 80 percent Hindus and only 20 percent muslims, we are to live in fear that we will hurt their religious sentiments. Who are these 20 percent people? They are people who were ostracized from the society as Hindus.

If a Hindu was insulted as a Hindu for 10 years, they converted in anger. So, who are Muslims? They were our own people, who developed hatred towards us.The point is:  we have committed mistake, our ancestors have made mistakes. According to a Supreme Court ruling, Hinduism is not just a religion, Hindutva is just a way of life.

Wapsi means, you were a hindu, you are following Islam but you remain a hindu. The solution is to build tolerance for all of us. There are Muslims who sit with hindus in poojas and foods etc. om, ek omkar and allah are the same.

The members of the RSS say that India is one nation and people living in this nation are one people.

Will Kejriwal bring about a change in the Delhi politics?

Kejriwal was a creation of international agencies if you check his background. He has always been a bhagoda, a wanderer. Selected in IIT and IRS, has he done any assessment in life?

When he talks about black money, I was the first person to declare my assets and liabilities, when no one else had. I had asked everyone to make it compulsory for all.

AAP was created just to counter the Modi wave and it failed.

I had known that he will resign eventually. He wanted to present the laws without the LG, which is unconstitutional. Has anyone asked him why did he not provide for water and electricity for the entire year? Why was free water and power only given for 49 days?

So, who do you consider your competition?

I don’t think AAP will be our prime opposition. There is no other party that can woo the Delhi electorate, except for Congress. These are just new entrants.

AAP hasn’t fought from any other state including Jammu and Kashmir. Where is Anjali Damania? Even their MLAs have left the party. 

What is the agenda that you are pushing in this season of assembly polls?

Development has been my agenda since the beginning.

Despite Governor's rule in the last year, we continued with the development work.

At least 40 percent of what we promised last elections could be accomplished.

There are 4,000 jhuggis, railways were breaking the jhuggies but I asked them not to do do it in winters. 50-70 jhuggies were demolished because of widening of roads.

Besides, there are 12 government schools in the area and we are trying hard so that students can achieve better results. We have sanctioned two new schools. I am also of the view that instead of mid-day meals, packaged food items should be given to students that are relatively safer to consume.