How do you view the recent developments, particularly the rise of the Cockroach Janata Party?
A movement made in jest became so serious – an indirect reference to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) – and made a government that earlier did not allow protests or pay attention to them suddenly feign being ‘democratic’. The protesting youth made the government bend and ensure Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as minister for education. “Ek Pradhan ji ko hataa kar Pradhan Mantri ko bachaa liya apne (By removing Pradhan, you saved the prime minister).
The oppression perpetrated on the youth during the recent protest was no less than what happened during the Emergency. Police batons were used even then, but this time, ‘current’ was also given to students. Just like there was a regime change after the Emergency, there would be a regime change now too. Even God would not save the government, as its people were involved in the maha paap (grave sin) of chadhaava chori (theft of temple donations). After this, I hope the government will accept all demands of the students.
You have made the embezzlement of donations at Ayodhya a big issue…
The news of theft of offerings, donations and contributions from the Ayodhya temple has spread across the world. Followers of Sanatan Dharma, living in different countries, are ashamed because of the disrepute caused by the BJP and its associates. They are also hurt because many of them had donated to the temple or personally offered contributions. The controversy is affecting investor confidence, and the BJP government is losing credibility.
Investors across the world are withdrawing, because they feel that, if a government cannot safeguard even donations made to its own deity, how can it protect our investments tomorrow? The BJP government has completely lost its religious, cultural, political and economic credibility. In fact, the country is suffering a loss of reputation because of the actions of ‘BJP’s non-religious elements’.
But the UP government has appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter…
What is this SIT? It’s just a whitewash (lipa-poti). Who formed this SIT? I’ve heard that one of its members is himself facing charges of fraud (Section 420). How can such a person investigate? This is a larger issue involving high-ranking BJP leaders. There is a case regarding a big BJP leader printing fake donation coupons and receipts. I won’t take names, but the layers are peeling off now. Also, if the call detail records of all those employed in the temple in Ayodhya are examined, it will be found that 99.9 per cent of them have links with the BJP. Such a revelation will trigger a ‘turmoil’ within the ruling BJP.
What are your views on the development works being carried out in UP?
I am unable to see any development. The ruling administration has made UP the top state in borrowing, while emptying the state treasury. Major infrastructure projects are riddled with irregularities. Take the water supply works, for example. The newly laid pipelines are merely ‘pipelines of corruption’. Water tanks are springing leaks due to low-quality building standards.
How has the Yogi government’s record on education been?
School closures, falling enrolment, teacher vacancies and poor facilities in primary schools have become the order of the day. Thousands of government schools still lack basic infrastructure. About 7,000 schools have no electricity, some 2,300 have no toilets for girls, 576 have no drinking water facilities and nearly 23,000 have no provision for computer education.
On top of that, the government has shut more than 26,000 government primary schools since coming to power in 2017 in a move aimed at denying education to children from backward, dalit and minority communities. Official data shows that UP had 113,938 government primary schools until March 2017, when the BJP came to power. More than 26,000 of them have been closed since then. The highest number of closures was in Lakhimpur Kheri, where 758 schools were shut, followed by Sitapur with 650 and Prayagraj with 638. In Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s home district, around 500 primary schools were closed.
We plan to target the government on education, paper leaks, law and order and corruption in the coming days and months.