HRD minister Smriti Irani tells ET Now’s Gaurie Dwivedi that the Congress will not be able to stonewall key legislation in Rajya Sabha and that the campaign led by Rahul Gandhi against the government will not have any significant impact on the ground. She also insists that contrary to popular perception, PM Narendra Modi has proactively curbed communal fervour. Excerpts from the chat:
Smriti Irani: The highest office in this country and the person sitting in that position have been extremely articulate about the fact that nobody is above the law and that all Indians are equal.
I am married to a ‘micro’ minority and I have never used that as a card for political gains. I am of the opinion that when you believe that all Indians are equal, you lead a life which reflects that.
My alma mater was attacked because someone wanted to rob money. Was that a communal attack? No.
ET Now: You have been in the news lately on the issue of the food park in Amethi. In fact just yesterday, Rahul Gandhi was back in Amethi talking about it. Is there a disconnect between the fact that there is an explanation already given in Parliament and Rahul Gandhi's thoughts on the same?
Smriti Irani: That throws light on the fact that he is disconnected from facts. There was a park for an industrial house which was sanctioned by the previous government. Land was available in 2012, but somehow this industrial house never took that land.
My layman’s understanding is that for you to build a park, you first need land, which was available to you in 2012, but you did not take it. Instead, you ask for a captive power plant and gas administrative prices, which is not even supposed to be given. If you look at the previous government’s own directives, you'll see that it is not meant for a food park.
Now, captive power plant or gas at lower rates is not a precondition under these guidelines for the food park. Can it get more specific than that?
ET Now: It seems to have moved on from facts to become a mere political issue.
Smriti Irani: Yes, or maybe he was already aware that this was a fiction that was being doled out.
ET Now: There is talk that the government has not been able to fulfil its promises on a larger level?
Smriti Irani: What are the levels? Food Park in Amethi is a reality which has not happened under the Congress rule.
ET Now: He says even employment has not taken shape.
Smriti Irani: He might not have employment now because they did not govern well.
ET Now: But at some level, do you think the charge that comes from Opposition parties across the board that this government has catered more to people with corporate interests holds water?
Smriti Irani: It does not make sense to me at all. When you do something like a Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and give the comman man accidental insurance of two lakh with a premium of just Re 1 a month, do you think it’s a corporate idea?
This talk around ‘suit-boot ki sarkar’ is all that is left for the Congress party now. One can know who is wearing 'suit-boot' by checking online. You can only find somebody’s brother-in-law wearing 'suit-boot'.
ET Now: But this is affecting legislative business in Parliament.
Smriti Irani: No, it is not. We are trying to push as much as we can.
ET Now: But at some level, legislative business is getting impacted.
Smriti Irani: Wherever the BJP is in strength, we are trying to ensure that it delivers on the promises made to the people. It exposes the fact that the Congress were never pro-development - not in government and neither in Opposition.
ET Now: How do you rate Rahul Gandhi as a player in Opposition?
Smriti Irani: His own party has not deemed him their supreme leader. So why would you want me to rate him?
ET Now: Of late, he has been making as much noise as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister for sure.
Smriti Irani: I think the fact that Gandhi himself right now does not hold the reins of his party on his own speaks volumes about what his party thinks of him.
ET Now: Do you think that Uttar Pradesh is a political arena that you would like to test waters with?
Smriti Irani: I don’t think you should get into suppositions and concoct new theories.
Smriti Irani: The highest office in this country and the person sitting in that position have been extremely articulate about the fact that nobody is above the law and that all Indians are equal.
I am married to a ‘micro’ minority and I have never used that as a card for political gains. I am of the opinion that when you believe that all Indians are equal, you lead a life which reflects that.
My alma mater was attacked because someone wanted to rob money. Was that a communal attack? No.
ET Now: You have been in the news lately on the issue of the food park in Amethi. In fact just yesterday, Rahul Gandhi was back in Amethi talking about it. Is there a disconnect between the fact that there is an explanation already given in Parliament and Rahul Gandhi's thoughts on the same?
Smriti Irani: That throws light on the fact that he is disconnected from facts. There was a park for an industrial house which was sanctioned by the previous government. Land was available in 2012, but somehow this industrial house never took that land.
My layman’s understanding is that for you to build a park, you first need land, which was available to you in 2012, but you did not take it. Instead, you ask for a captive power plant and gas administrative prices, which is not even supposed to be given. If you look at the previous government’s own directives, you'll see that it is not meant for a food park.
Now, captive power plant or gas at lower rates is not a precondition under these guidelines for the food park. Can it get more specific than that?
ET Now: It seems to have moved on from facts to become a mere political issue.
Smriti Irani: Yes, or maybe he was already aware that this was a fiction that was being doled out.
ET Now: There is talk that the government has not been able to fulfil its promises on a larger level?
Smriti Irani: What are the levels? Food Park in Amethi is a reality which has not happened under the Congress rule.
ET Now: He says even employment has not taken shape.
Smriti Irani: He might not have employment now because they did not govern well.
ET Now: But at some level, do you think the charge that comes from Opposition parties across the board that this government has catered more to people with corporate interests holds water?
Smriti Irani: It does not make sense to me at all. When you do something like a Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and give the comman man accidental insurance of two lakh with a premium of just Re 1 a month, do you think it’s a corporate idea?
This talk around ‘suit-boot ki sarkar’ is all that is left for the Congress party now. One can know who is wearing 'suit-boot' by checking online. You can only find somebody’s brother-in-law wearing 'suit-boot'.
ET Now: But this is affecting legislative business in Parliament.
Smriti Irani: No, it is not. We are trying to push as much as we can.
ET Now: But at some level, legislative business is getting impacted.
Smriti Irani: Wherever the BJP is in strength, we are trying to ensure that it delivers on the promises made to the people. It exposes the fact that the Congress were never pro-development - not in government and neither in Opposition.
ET Now: How do you rate Rahul Gandhi as a player in Opposition?
Smriti Irani: His own party has not deemed him their supreme leader. So why would you want me to rate him?
ET Now: Of late, he has been making as much noise as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister for sure.
Smriti Irani: I think the fact that Gandhi himself right now does not hold the reins of his party on his own speaks volumes about what his party thinks of him.
ET Now: Do you think that Uttar Pradesh is a political arena that you would like to test waters with?
Smriti Irani: I don’t think you should get into suppositions and concoct new theories.
( Originally published on May 20, 2015 )
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