The people of Rajasthan are fed up with the Ashok Gehlot government as law and order has deteriorated and the state has become a safe haven for criminals, union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Piyush Goyal said in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, where he spoke on a range of issues. Taking a dig at the chief minister, he called it the “Geh-loot Sarkar".
The people are dissatisfied as chief minister Gehlot makes hollow promises, he said. Rajasthan needs a “double engine government", Goyal added, maintaining that the BJP has a galaxy of leaders in the state who are working unitedly.
In the context of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said, “We want to thank the people of India for their trust in the Modi government, and we want to tell the people that a strong government is a need for India."
On whether he would be contesting in the polls, he left the decision up to the BJP. “I still have five years left in the Rajya Sabha…but whatever the party will decide, I will follow that," said the minister.
He also spoke on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent United States visit, during which he addressed a joint session of the US Congress for a historic second time. “The kind of response we got from the business community in the US was unparalleled. The Indian diaspora welcomed the PM open-heartedly. This all made the PM’s visit historic."
Referring to the Congress’s barbs over the visit, he put it down to the party’s lack of understanding. “For them, it’s like the grapes are sour," Goyal said.
Issues in the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been ironed out, he said. “India has shown to the world that we can be a trusted partner. The PM has proven his ability that he is a good negotiator. Cases were pending for decades but the PM intervened and diplomatically everything was sorted," said the minister.
On the subject of the possibility of India getting a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), he said most countries are in support of India, but veto power is held by India’s “neighbouring country", in reference to China.
He added that China-India ties stand on their own merits. “India is a very very high potential country," Goyal said.
On the issue of India and Canada pursuing a possible trade agreement amid New Delhi’s concerns over the Khalistan issue, Goyal said there has been a lot of progress in talks. “We are both democracies and I am sure we can sort out such issues which are extraneous to commerce and bilateral relations," he said.
With the Uniform Civil Code issue simmering, the senior BJP leader expressed his support for it. “We are for the UCC. We are waiting to see what comes up. Uttarakhand has already come out with a report. Let’s see how the public reacts. People shouldn’t jump the gun. This is a directive principle of the Constitution…PM Modi thinks of all the people of the society…The people who are wronged, we will make things better for them…Many countries have made triple talaq illegal…Raja Ram Mohan Roy also faced opposition when he brought reforms. Even Gandhiji also faced issues. PM Modi is like these leaders," Goyal said.
He also took on Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat over his comments on the UCC issue. “This may be a poll game for Harish Rawat but for the BJP this is a national concern. We have concerns for our Muslim sisters. This is only appeasement politics for Congress and other political parties who are opposing it. I hope Muslim leaders and Muslim clerics will also support this issue," he said.
Reacting to the controversy around the Chidambaram temple in Tamil Nadu, the minister said experts are looking into it, adding that the Modi government doesn’t discriminate. “Laws should be the same for everyone…It’s unfortunate that the government in Tamil Nadu is anti-Hindu. They only pretend to be Hindu," he said.
Regarding the efforts towards opposition unity to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in next year’s parliamentary polls, Goyal said the BJP never aims small. “We are working hard in the country. We will do well. We have support from the whole country and from every section…I want to say that the DMK and SP will not get a single seat beyond their states. I hope they will lose their voting percentage in their states also. This is an unethical alliance, a corrupt alliance," he said.
Asked about the Congress’s apparent revival, Goyal said, “Everyone has the right to dream."
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