‘2002 created a complete turnaround for BJP in Gujarat’

Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke to DH’s Amrita Madhukalya about Gujarat and its turn of fate in 2002

The BJP has pulled out the big guns in Gujarat, its traditional bastion, to win it for a record seventh term. Among its senior leaders campaigning in the state is Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is now seen in an increasingly central role. Sarma spoke to DH’s Amrita Madhukalya about Gujarat and its turn of fate in 2002. Edited excerpts:

You have said that 2002 laid the groundwork for a new Gujarat, and even in 2050, “we will find echoes of that”. What, according to you, is the new Gujarat?

I think in 2002, we saw a Gujarat that had riots and curfews on a daily basis. These are now a matter of the past. What we have seen in these years is all-round development. The country’s biggest contribution to GDP is coming from Gujarat. I think it is now a completely new Gujarat, without riots and curfews; there is complete peace and harmony, and Gujarat now symbolises the epitome of development.

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The BJP’s critics say that it is trying to shed the image built around the 2002 Godhra riots. Would you agree?

A lot of the matters pertaining to the 2002 Godhra riots are in the courts. You may have seen the recent SC decision on PM Modi. Our stand is being vindicated. I will leave the issue at that. But 2002 was definitely a turning point for Gujarat. The image of Gujarat is now one of development, devoid of any conflict. The party will always remember 2002 as a year that created a complete turnaround in Gujarat.

There is an increasing complaint against the BJP that it is polarising these polls. What do you have to say?

Why do we not have the right to speak for ourselves as a political entity? Does Owaisi alone have the right? We also have the right to speak about the Sanatan culture, Hindu Asmita, and, in the same breath, speak for Muslim women when they face discrimination. Do Hindus not have the right to speak about the glories of our religion—about the fact that this land gave birth to Ram or Krishna? Why do we think that the country is polarised only when we speak of Hindus? The ordinary Muslim takes inspiration from Hindu culture. My Muslim friends are proud of the contribution of Hindus to this country. The media has brought in the word “polarisation” to fuel problems between Hindus and Muslims. This is a country of Hindu civilisation, of Sanatan civilisation. The Muslims here are proud of that.

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Anti-radicalisation units, the Uniform Civil Code, and a law for love jihad are part of the BJP’s promises. Is the BJP going back to the drawing board?

I would simply say that the BJP is winning again in Gujarat, and that is not a matter of worry for us. Like I said earlier in the day, these elections are laying the ground for the 2024 elections, when the country will choose Narendra Modi as the prime minister for his third term. In 2019, we set a target for 300 seats; this time, we have set a target for 400 seats.

You are now seen more and more as part of the BJP’s national campaigns. Are we looking at a more centralised role for Himanta Biswa Sarma?

The BJP has a long tradition of using chief ministers in election campaigns. All the chief ministers will also realise that they are true karyakartas. It makes for a level-playing field for all workers. You will see tomorrow that (Pramod) Sawant is coming, Yogi ji is coming. For us, these are pilgrimages. There is no such special privilege that one has during campaigning, and I do not want to draw any conclusions about a national role, except for the fact that all BJP CMs, as karyakartas of the BJP, join other karyakartas to campaign.

The AAP is putting up a fight, looking to be taken as an alternative to either the BJP or the Congress.

Whether the AAP wins or loses, the media feels that the AAP is coming. I spoke to people across regions here, and I asked our workers whether I should mention them in my campaign speeches, and they said no one talks about AAP and asked me to refrain from doing so. In the context of Gujarat, AAP is an insignificant player. I strongly feel that the primary opposition will be the Congress.

About the Congress, your comment on Mallikarjun Kharge has drawn attention to his campaign.

I’m sure the Congress does not want a complete walkover, and there will be some response from us.

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Your comment on Rahul Gandhi, that he looks like Saddam Hussein, drew a lot of attention. Do you feel he’s coming of age as a politician after Bharat Jodo Yatra?

You have seen that even after Bharat Jodo, there are elections in Gujarat, and he’s in Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi could not shed his image as the waiting-in captain of his team; the match is going on in the crease, and he has his pad and helmet on but is sitting in the dressing room. Why?

Can you tell us a bit about the BJP’s projection in Gujarat , especially in its manifesto, about India’s Olympic ambitions?

I think recently Gujarat has very successfully conducted national games, which reinforced the confidence among the Gujarati people, the government, and the sports fraternity that they are in a position to host the Olympics. If a state of India is showing tremendous confidence, then I think the people of India will support it, and of course, we’d like to see Gujarat, or for that matter, India, submit a good claim on the Olympic platform. So, we’ll pray that Gujarat gets the Olympics in 2036.