AAP, BJP did ‘jumlebaazi’, we do not believe in lip service: Subhash Chopra

After a disastrous 2015 assembly poll when it failed to win a single seat and its vote share plummeted to below 10 per cent, Congress this time is fighting a battle for survival in Delhi politics. Atul Mathur spoke to Delhi Congress Pradesh Committee president and former MLA Subhash Chopra on the party’s poll agenda and why it believes people will vote for his party this time.Excerpts.
Congress lost the 2013 and 2015 assembly polls and 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections badly. Why do you think people would vote for Congress this time?
In the 2013 and 2015 assembly polls, people voted for a party which was born out of a movement started by Anna Hazare and promised a corruption-free society and Jan Lokpal Bill. But then its founder-members started leaving because they realised that those who talked about a corruption-free society were themselves indulging in it. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who sat on a dharna at Rail Bhawan in 2014 to get three policemen suspended, didn’t have time to go and meet the students who were assaulted at Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU. And he is the same person who called Sheila ji a helpless chief minister. A government which can’t provide safety to women and children, can’t prevent people dying by inhaling polluted air, cannot provide clean water, can’t check price rise and take action against hoarders but blames the Prime Minister and lieutenant governor for not allowing them to work for four-and-a-half years can’t be remain in power. It was our government that introduced CNG-run public transport, privatised discoms, gave Rs240 crore to the Haryana government to build a water canal, expanded Delhi Metro and bought new DTC buses. We started the Laadli scheme to give education to the girl child. People realise that and they will vote for Congress this time.
The voters were influenced by big promises made by AAP and BJP. But Delhiites have now realised that it was all ‘jumlebaazi’ (just words). Congress does not believe in lip service. We do what we promise.
What are you promising Delhi this time?
Congress started the monthly pension scheme for senior citizens and widows in 1998 with Rs 200 and increased it to Rs 2,500. We have now promised a pension of Rs 5,000 per month now. While Kejriwal says he will open more old-age homes, we want to empower senior citizens with more money. Their children will also be able to take better care of their parents. Water has become scarce now. We want people to save water. We will not only give 20,000 litres of water free but also give an incentive of 30 paise for every litre they save. We want to give free travel to senior citizens, students and people below poverty line. We will soon bring out our manifesto, which will have several schemes for Delhiites.
Congress has openly supported the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in Delhi. While the BJP has turned it into an election plank, do you think your party will also get support from those opposing the law?
I don’t think CAA is a local issue and should become an election plank. This is a national issue. Any movement which turns violent becomes weak and we are not in favour of that. But it is surprising that AAP has suddenly taken a stand on it. It realised it was not getting support of the youth and women associated with protests and that Congress was coming back to power. AAP is a creation of BJP and it is their conspiracy.
The protest at Shaheen Bagh is causing a lot of inconvenience to commuters. Would you request the protesters to end their sit-in?
I bow my head in front of the women sitting on dharna. The LG had called a meeting with these women and they have agreed to leave a lane for traffic. Their intention is not to create problems for anyone but only to save their future generations. I leave it to them to decide their course of action. It is their democratic right to stage a protest.
Whenever Congress has forged an alliance with a regional party in any state, its own vote base has shrunk. What prompted your party to ally with RJD in Delhi?
There are a lot of Poorvanchalis in Delhi who have contributed in the development of the city. Since we have an alliance with RJD at the national level, out of respect we have given them four seats to contest.
Congress has always been criticised for promoting dynastic politics. You have given ticket to children of several former MLAs including your own daughter.
They have been given tickets on merit and not by the virtue of being children of former MLAs or ministers. Daughters of (former Delhi Speaker) Yoganand Shastri and (former MLA) Kunwar Karan Singh are active workers of Mahila Congress. My daughter has worked closely with Martin Luther King III. and travelled with him to several countries, promoting peace and working with the youth. She is highly educated and had worked in Karnataka elections for one month. She is working with All India Congress Committee’s research department. I never pushed her name and she is here by virtue of her work. We want the young generation to come forward and join politics to serve society.