Destroying social fabric, peace & co-existence to win poll is unacceptable: Karnataka BJP MLC Vishwanath

You are one of the few political leaders to have spoken out against an ongoing campaign by right-wing groups to impose curbs on Muslim businesses in temple premises and other places in Karnataka. Is there a sense of discomfort in the BJP about this kind of politics?

There is no uneasiness in the party but somebody needs to speak the truth. It does not matter to me as to whether others speak out or not. As an Indian, as a person who accepts the Constitution, and as a person who worked as a member of Parliament by taking an oath on the Constitution, we have to speak out. If we do not speak out, then who will? I am not speaking with the intention of gaining power or authority. Not for that. If we do not open our mouth and speak up, how can we exist? It would amount to me cheating myself. We are a part of the government.

What reaction has been there in the BJP to your statements against divisive politics?

There has been no reaction. Nobody has asked me or told me anything about my remarks.

What prompted you to make the statements? Is it on account of the politics you have practised over the years?

Look, what happens is that Indians are scattered all over the world. Our children are working in various parts of the world. Our people have invested in many different parts of the world in businesses and industries. Tomorrow, if there is a reaction in Muslim countries to the kind of policies being propagated in India, if they ask Indians to go back to their own country, what will we do? Will India be able to bear the costs of such reactions. All these things must be considered by administrators and those in power. They must consider the difficulty with which we achieved Independence. The Muslims in India did not go with Jinnah when Partition occurred. They remained in India and they are Indians. They did not go and become Pakistanis. Those who had respect for India remained here. The majority remained and they are Indians and not Pakistanis.

The targeting of Muslims by the right-wing on various issues has increased now. Is this in sync with the mainstream BJP’s stand, or it is restricted to the fringe outfits in the Sangh Parivar?

Prime Minister Modi made a statement about “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas”. The “Sabka Vishwas” part of the statement was intended to assure the Muslims. All these things are there but some people are going against it and that is not right.

This kind of divisive politics has been practised for long in coastal Karnataka, but is there value for it across the state. What would you say from your decades of experience in state politics?

The political culture of Karnataka is very different. The Muslims in Karnataka are patriots and there are freedom fighters, writers, historians, and cultural figures. There are people who have contributed to the art and culture of Karnataka. There are eminent people in this state. They are people born here and with whom we are living our lives. We have to repeat what Mahatma Gandhi said, “Ishwar Allah Tere Naam, Sabko Sanmathi de Bhagwan”. May God give sense to everyone.

Over the last few months several issues along communal lines have surfaced in Karnataka – the hijab issue, the boycott of Muslim vendors and now a call to boycott halal meat. Is it a sign of the elections being around the corner in the state?

It may be so but if you are going to destroy the social fabric to win an election – how can it be (accepted)? The peace and co-existence of different communities in Karnataka is going to be destroyed to win an election – is it right to do so? It is not acceptable.

There has been mostly silence from your erstwhile party, the Congress, on these issues and there have been hardly any political personalities who have spoken out against this kind of politics. Why?

All the three main political parties in Karnataka (the ruling BJP, the principal Opposition Congress, and the JDS) will only speak with their vote bases in mind. Congress, JDS and BJP will only speak keeping their votes in mind. So what has happened is that with the elections approaching all the political parties are targeting only the voters.

The Assembly constituency from where you were elected in 2018 has a significant Muslim population. Do you not speak with votes in mind as well?

It is true that the constituency has many Muslim voters. But that is not why I am speaking out at present. I am not talking with votes in mind. I was in the Congress party for 45 years and I have been in politics for 50 years. I speak on the basis of facts and reality. Since I do this, some people tend to remark that “Vishwanath is a mad man, Vishwanath is controversial”. No, that is not true. The ones who call me mad are the ones who cannot respond to my statements.

What is your own future in Karnataka politics? Are you planning to retire and field your son instead?

The future of my son is in the hands of the people and in his own hands. I cannot prop him up. Modi has also said that “dynasty rule is dangerous to democracy – that it is not just transfer of power but also of corruption”. Modi has said these things but no one in Karnataka is paying heed to his words. Nobody in the BJP is speaking about Modi and the achievements of the Modi government. They are caught up in propagating the divisive agenda.

Do you regret having joined the BJP in 2019 to help B S Yediyurappa become the Karnataka CM?

I did not come to the BJP to make anyone the CM. The situation at the time was such that 17 MLAs (from the Congress and the JDS) decided to quit because of the conduct of our legislature party leaders and their torture. Those circumstances saw Yediyurappa become the CM with the exit of the coalition government and the entry of the BJP government. Even Yediyurappa’s authority also (subsequently) went away. At that time, I was in the forefront of calling for his exit. I called him out for being corrupt and sought his exit in the party office. I raised many issues at that time as well.