Congress in terminal decline; those who decide on matters must shoulder responsibility: Amarinder Singh

'Along with the national interest, I have always kept the interest of Punjab above everything else, particularly my own personal or political career,' Captain said

For former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, these are challenging times. He was unceremoniously ousted as CM by his party leadership, and is equation with the Gandhi family spread over decades proved inconsequential. Captain is now busy strategising his political trajectory, and he perhaps knows it’s not an easy task.

The former Army officer wrote in his resignation, which has now been accepted by the Congress president, that he ‘intends to soldier on and not fade away’. DH's Gautam Dheer spoke to Captain on a host of issues and what lies in store for him.

Given that you express confidence in several Congress MLAs standing by your side at an appropriate time ahead of polls, how do you then view the performance of the Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections?

Congress has seen a progressive decline during the past few months in Punjab. The party is at war with its own government. The MLAs are caught between the devil and the deep sea. Once the Election Code of Conduct comes into force, you will see a large number of legislators joining us. They see no future in the party. As the drift and decline continues and there appears to be no redemption, quite a number of legislators and leaders are expected to join us.

Read | What options do Amarinder Singh, BJP have?

Your resignation to the Congress president offered a glimpse into the mismanagement and whimsical ways of the central leadership in dealing with critical situations. Do you feel Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka are to be blamed for much of the rot that exists and the plunging graph of the Congress in the country?

The buck must stop somewhere. The Congress party has been in terminal decline since 2014. It has just 52 seats in the Lok Sabha. The party is losing state after state in terms of assemblies. Obviously, those who decide on matters must shoulder the responsibility and blame. Moreover, any suggestion or advice by sincere leaders and well-wishers of the party must be taken into consideration, which is not happening.

You have been objective in expressing support for Prime Minister Modi on issues of national interest and internal security. How do you rate him as a nationalist and as a Prime Minister?

Of course when it comes to the national interest and national security, we have to rise above our partisan considerations. When he took bold measures such as the surgical strike in Balakot, I welcomed it. In fact any Indian would do that. After all, the Prime Minister belongs to the whole country, not to a particular political party. He has won an emphatic mandate in 2019 and that means people of the country appreciate what he is doing.

Read | Bending to Sidhu's demands? Channi removes A-G

Since you have laid a precondition for a seat sharing agreement with the BJP, do you think the union government is serious about finding a way out of the logjam with protesting farmers?

During my meetings with the union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, I have found that they want to resolve the issue. The issue is being discussed by the farmer unions directly with the Government of India. They don’t want political interference, and therefore, my role is limited to requesting the Home Minister to resolve the issue on priority basis. Moreover, with Punjab being a border state, the sensitivities are more severe and serious. Our hostile neighbour is always waiting for an opportunity to exploit the situation here. We cannot allow the situation to drift further. It will be in the interest of the nation to sort out the issue at the earliest. National interest remains paramount.

Yours is a new party, albeit with an experienced leader like you who knows the pulse of the people of this border state. What makes you confident of ensuring electoral success of your party in the upcoming Assembly polls?

It’s the confidence and trust of people of Punjab that makes me confident. Along with the national interest, I have always kept the interest of Punjab above everything else, particularly my own personal or political career. Every Punjabi knows this. They have faith in me and I have faith in them.

Navjot Sidhu appears calling the shots, perhaps superimposing the incumbent chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi? How do you see Sidhu’s political trajectory unfolding?

I was the first one to advise the Congress President, making it very clear that Sidhu was an unstable character and would be a total disaster for the party. They did not accept my advice and what I said is exactly what is happening now.

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