Interview: Rajeev Pratap Rudy

Why is the BJP distancing itself from the Ram Sene, even when the arrested President has said that his loyalties are with the BJP and he will not let the party’s name be sullied?
There are two very distinct points. There is no formal or informal association with the Ram Sene, as far as the BJP is concerned. They may be pursuing an ideology which they presume is the BJP’s, but we completely disagree with what they think and how they act. They do not have any remote association with the BJP. We condemn what has inspired them for the actions they have done. It’s a criminal act, it’s a shameful act. At no point of time, has any functionary of the Ram Sene said that he is associated with the BJP. If that is what is called an association then Sheila Dikshit has to explain her sharing a platform with the so-called National President of the Ram Sene in Pune. So the culpability of the Congress Party, if that is the reasoning, is the same as that of the BJP. Their leaders are seen cheering, being present in the same function. The Congress Party has to be held accountable for this.

Even though the BJP has condemned the attacks it has said that it is against the pubs serving alcohol.
We have never said that. If there are licensed pubs then what is the problem? It is a presumption. What needs to be answered right now is, what is the association of the Congress Party with the Ram Sene. Tomorrow, somebody from the Sewa Dal decides to make his own Dal, would it be appropriate to call it an action done under the patronage of the Congress Party, just because of the links it shares with the Sewa Dal?

The state government is accused of having been soft on the Ram Sene in the past: for the anti-christian violence, or, planting a bomb in the Hubli.
The state government has arrested all of them. What do you mean by soft? If anyone walks up and takes a saffron flag and says no, I have become BJP, what can we do? That’s not the law of the land. Tell me, what was the Congress Party doing when the MNS was killing people in Maharashtra? This charge is akin to stating that the Congress has been soft on terror and allowing the killing of people.

Last year, during the anti-Christian violence in the state, Ram Sene President Muthalik had made statements about the training of 700 people to carry out suicide attacks. They were also allegedly helping Malegaon blast accused Lt Col Purohit. Was any action taken then?
I told you. The BJP does not associate or recognise them. We are unaware of this ideology which they say is close to the BJP. We have nothing to do with it. They are scamsters, they are hooligans. They are the same group who spat on speakers in Delhi University a few months back. We had strongly condemned that too. Similarly, these attacks are also heinous, disgusting, shameful and at no point of time can this be acceptable to a civilised society. What more political utterance do you want from the party? This is an act against entire womanhood. They have tried to molest women. Which civilised political party or society will agree to this?

It is alleged that the BJP won successive elections in Mangalore riding on polarisation of Hindu votes with Muthalik’s help.
We do not know him. Why do you say that anyone who talks about Hinduism has the patronage of the BJP? This is false. Before all this, let Sheila Dikshit explain why was she accepted occupying a chair next to such fundamentalists.

With so much proof against the organisation, why hasn’t the state government banned it yet?
These are insignificant organisations. You don’t want to give strength to such organisations by banning them. Do you want to make them heroes? They are absolutely non-significant. Do you want to give them a locus to standby? They have no respect for themselves, they have no rules, then why do you need to recognise them.