Anybody who wants to leave the Congress is obviously not committed to the founding ideology of this country, said Manish Tewari, senior Congress leader and former Union minister. In an interview with Harpreet Bajwa, the Anandpur Sahib MP who this time is contesting from Chandigarh talked about a range of issues.. Excerpts:
BJP has called you an outsider to Chandigarh. What have you to say?
BJP has been spreading the word that I am an outsider and not from Chandigarh. I was born and brought up in the city and thus have better claim over the city. You should ask them if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is from Varanasi. These are parliamentary elections, not municipality polls.
Many Congress leaders have left the party and joined BJP. Your take?
Anybody who wants to go is obviously either not committed to the founding ideology of this country or the idea of India.
What is your take on electoral bonds controversy?
The Supreme Court has struck down the electoral bonds; apex court has said the electoral bonds system was opaque, therefore it needs to go. It is now becoming public that there is a quid pro quo between sanction of work orders by BJP government and electoral bonds.
What are the issues you would be taking up?
The fundamental issue which is germane to the people of Chandigarh and confronts the nation is the challenge to the very essence of democracy. In Chandigarh mayoral polls you saw the murder of democracy and Supreme Court had to exercise its unique power under article 142 of Constitution to save democracy.
People of Chandigarh have seen a brazen attempt to subvert a popular mandate. In the circumstances, a Lok Sabha election is defined by larger national issues — saving democracy and the Constitution given to us by our founding fathers led by Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar, and saving the idea of India on which this country stands.
What are the local issues your are raising in Chandigarh?
Of course we are taking inputs, and we will come out with a manifesto at appropriate time which will clearly indicate our preferences.
Dumping ground of the city is a major issue and it has not been shifted...
I am aware of this issue. The dumping ground falls on the border of my current constituency and Chandigarh, so we will try and find a solution which is holistic and reasonable and which enhances environment in and around the dumping ground.
Are you advocating metro in Chandigarh as your predecessor Kiron Kherr opposed it?
Way back in 2019, I was the first to write to Union minister of roads and highways Nitin Gatkari to get a detailed project report done for a metro for the tri-city so that the synergy of the tri-city could be leveraged and full potential of the area, especially providing employment for youngsters, could be worked out.
You are contesting these polls in alliance with AAP and AAP has promised free water and electricity. Do you stand by the promises?
AAP and Congress are part of INDIA bloc. Whatever commitments have been made by AAP in Chandigarh obviously must have been done after studying their financial feasibility. Since the financial feasibility has been gone into, we will stand by our alliance partner.
What does Chandigarh lack and what is need of the hour?
Essentially the governance model of Chandigarh goes back to 1966 when Punjab was re-organised. That governance model has not been updated in a holistic manner. Division of powers between Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation, which came into existence in 1996, is an issue which needs to be gone. You cannot look into things in a segmented manner. We need to be holistic. That is why I am saying that entire governance model of Chandigarh needs to be relooked.