Jest Kidding managed to clinch an exclusive tête-à-tête with a veteran
octogenarian politician from Tamil Nadu. In a candid interview, the
politician shared his thoughts on the business of politics, the current
political scenario, how politics has changed over the years and his
meteoric rise from being a man of limited means to having a family that
is worth several thousand, if not lakh, crores of rupees. Here are some
excerpts.
When asked for his views on the latest controversy surrounding Mr Robert Vadra’s fortune, the visibly irritated leader shot back: “Come on, man. Grow up. Even some deputy superintendents in the police department are worth a few crore rupees these days. Vadra belongs to the first family of Indian politics and is the son-in-law of the most powerful politician in India. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Be practical. Wake up to reality. Do you expect people to be like Kamaraj and Shastri today? Are we in 1950? Rs 500 crore is nothing. The allegation by Modi that several hundred crores of rupees of government money has been spent on Sonia Gandhi’s foreign trips is also extremely frivolous and childish. Even if this is true, being the head of the Nehru-Gandhi family, is she not entitled to even Rs.1,880 crore as perks from the government? Let’s be realistic.”
Answering a question on rampant corruption in politics, the leader said: “What’s surprising about that? With our educational and criminal background, it would be difficult for most of us to even get an LDC/UDC position in the government. Elections have become very expensive over the years. Winning an election is difficult. Making a career out of politics is even more difficult. Most of us in politics are not qualified to find an alternate career. So we make sure that when we are in power we make the most of this opportunity. Of course, rewards come with associated risks. But politics is a thankless job. Nobody appreciates the risks we take. Your daughter might end up in jail for several months spending the hot summer days in a room that is not air-conditioned. You need to be prepared for such eventualities. But we will bounce back and be a part of parliamentary panels and we’ll continue to win elections. We recognise that life is full of ups and downs. Politicians need to be extremely thick-skinned.”
When asked about Mr Arvind Kejriwal’s new party, the anti-corruption movement and the promise of change, the veteran politician said in a dismissive tone: “Arvind Kejriwal is a novice in the system. I have seen many Arvinds in my life. Slowly, he will understand the harsh reality of Indian politics and get institutionalised or disappear.”
In other news, the comptroller and auditor-general of India termed the figure Rs 500 crore ‘insignificant, tiny and laughable’. “I have seen much greater numbers. Have you forgotten the 2G and Coalgate scams so soon, as Sushil Kumar Shinde had ominously predicted,” the CAG asked.
Link: http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=426197&catid=39
When asked for his views on the latest controversy surrounding Mr Robert Vadra’s fortune, the visibly irritated leader shot back: “Come on, man. Grow up. Even some deputy superintendents in the police department are worth a few crore rupees these days. Vadra belongs to the first family of Indian politics and is the son-in-law of the most powerful politician in India. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Be practical. Wake up to reality. Do you expect people to be like Kamaraj and Shastri today? Are we in 1950? Rs 500 crore is nothing. The allegation by Modi that several hundred crores of rupees of government money has been spent on Sonia Gandhi’s foreign trips is also extremely frivolous and childish. Even if this is true, being the head of the Nehru-Gandhi family, is she not entitled to even Rs.1,880 crore as perks from the government? Let’s be realistic.”
Answering a question on rampant corruption in politics, the leader said: “What’s surprising about that? With our educational and criminal background, it would be difficult for most of us to even get an LDC/UDC position in the government. Elections have become very expensive over the years. Winning an election is difficult. Making a career out of politics is even more difficult. Most of us in politics are not qualified to find an alternate career. So we make sure that when we are in power we make the most of this opportunity. Of course, rewards come with associated risks. But politics is a thankless job. Nobody appreciates the risks we take. Your daughter might end up in jail for several months spending the hot summer days in a room that is not air-conditioned. You need to be prepared for such eventualities. But we will bounce back and be a part of parliamentary panels and we’ll continue to win elections. We recognise that life is full of ups and downs. Politicians need to be extremely thick-skinned.”
When asked about Mr Arvind Kejriwal’s new party, the anti-corruption movement and the promise of change, the veteran politician said in a dismissive tone: “Arvind Kejriwal is a novice in the system. I have seen many Arvinds in my life. Slowly, he will understand the harsh reality of Indian politics and get institutionalised or disappear.”
In other news, the comptroller and auditor-general of India termed the figure Rs 500 crore ‘insignificant, tiny and laughable’. “I have seen much greater numbers. Have you forgotten the 2G and Coalgate scams so soon, as Sushil Kumar Shinde had ominously predicted,” the CAG asked.
Link: http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=426197&catid=39
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