Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a no-holds-barred interview, has ruled out any "offer" or alliance with Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and said, "The present combination will continue. There will be no change." He was replying to questions from Rajat Sharma on the 'Aap Ki Adalat' show.
Fadnavis said, "First of all, let me say, (Eknath) Shinde Ji is not unhappy, and our government will run with full strength and coordination for five years. As far as Uddhav Ji is concerned, I had jokingly told him in the Assembly, "agar idhar aana hai, toh vichar karengey aapke oopar. Aisa maine mazaaq me keh diya; koi offer nahin thi. Maine mazaaq me keh diya toh uski news ban gayi. Abhi offer dene ka koi sawal nahi. Hamare paas jagah nahin hai. In a 288-member Assembly, we have 232 members with us. There is no space left for others."
Rajat Sharma: If there is no space, what were you talking with him in a closed room for 20 minutes?
Fadnavis: We were discussing in an open room with open heart (Khule kamre me khule dil se baat ho rahi thi). He had come with a delegation. They wanted that Leader of Opposition post to be given to them despite having less than the required number. First, Uddhav Ji and Aaditya came, and then they called others. We sat for 15-20 minutes. I had tea, Aaditya had coffee, and he (Uddhav) didn't drink. And they left."
Devendra Fadnavis said, "I have good relations with all, but this does not mean that we will change parties. Yahi chalega. Yahi combination chalega. There will be no change."
Rajat Sharma: Then, won't Shinde Ji have a stomachache and go to Thane for treatment?
Fadnavis: "There are good hospitals in Mumbai, and nowadays he has no stomach ache."
Rajat Sharma: Do you think Uddhav Thackeray will come out of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi?
Fadnavis: "He can do anything. He can come out. Uddhav Ji is a man about whom none can say what he will decide. Sometimes I feel even he himself cannot tell what he will do. He takes decisions suddenly. I think he will stay there for now, but I can't say this with full confidence, because he takes his own decisions."
Rajat Sharma: You mean to say, there is not going to be any upheaval or storm in Maharashtra politics in the coming days?
Fadnavis: "Nahin, abhi toh mujhe dikhai nahin padta. Saare toofan hamne rok diye."
Chacha-Bhatija, Washing Machine
When Rajat Sharma asked whether chacha (Sharad Pawar) and bhatija (Ajit Pawar) will come together again, Fadnavis replied, "Only chacha and bhatija can say about this. Begaani shaadi me Abdullah diwana kyun banu main? Woh toh woh hi batayenge."
Asked how he stole bhatija from chacha when he formed a government for 80 hours, Fadnavis replied, "We formed that 80-hour government after speaking to chacha Sharad Pawar Ji. When we realised that Uddhav Thackeray Ji stabbed us in the back after the elections, chacha Ji sent envoys to us. We thought, since we were being made a target of dirty politics, we need to stay alive. We spoke to chacha Ji and everything was decided with his concurrence. Pata nahin chacha ji kyun palat gaye. Chacha Ji palatey, lekin bhatije ji nahin palte. Bhatije ne kaha ki chacha ji palat gaye, lekin main aapke saath hoon, toh bhatije hamare saath aa gaye, toh hum logon ne shapath le li. But after 80 hours, we resigned."
Asked why he inducted Ajit Pawar, when Prime Minister Modi had publicly told a rally that he was involved in a Rs 70 thousand crore scam, Fadnavis replied, "We never wanted an alliance with NCP. Our ideology is different, but in politics, time comes when one has to stay relevant. When Uddhav Ji cheated us, we decided to make a compromise to stay relevant. Let me tell you, we compromised to form a government, but we did not ditch our ideology. We shall continue to run our government on ideology. In war, if you do not stay relevant, you will be finished, and you can sit and watch silently. I had said, we will not ally with NCP, but we had to change our stand."
Rajat Sharma: It's good you gave a clear reply, but how can you ally with those who are facing ED, CBI, and income tax probes?
Fadnavis: "Not a single inquiry has been halted. Properties of those who joined us were attached. In Modiji's government, we don't spare brothers or enemies. It was a political compromise, and those inquiries are still going on today. Nobody can do a deal with a person like Modi ji. Modi ji is not that kind of person. Ajit Pawar ji joined our camp unconditionally, and there will be no interference in the judicial process. The judicial process will continue."
Rajat Sharma: Then people will say BJP is a washing machine and anybody can come out clean?
Fadnavis: "Uska ulta bhi ho sakta hai (the reverse can also be there). When those people are in their camp, they are nice, and when they join us, they say, washing machine mein chala gaya. When they were with you, they were nice; aap uske chumme (kiss) bhi lete they, usko gale lagate they, and hamare paas aaya, toh kahte hain, washing machine hai. You can see it both ways. Par hum kiski dhoyenge nahin, aur dhoyengey toh theek dhang se dhoyenge. (We will not wash anybody clean, and if we indeed wash, we will wash clean)."
Uddhav Thackeray
On Uddhav Thackeray's advice to his partymen not to even attend weddings of BJP leaders nor invite them to their weddings, because they can run away with the bride, Devendra Fadnavis replied, "The problem with him is that whosoever's wedding he attends, he thinks he is the dulha (bridegroom) and he should be paid more attention than what the bridegroom gets. Uddhav ji's party was first split by Sharad Pawar Ji in 1992, when Balasaheb Thackeray was alive and 13 leaders with Chhagan Bhujbal left Shiv Sena. With the same Sharad Pawar ji, Uddhav ji forged an alliance and became CM. So he cannot blame us for splitting either Shiv Sena or NCP. Eknath ji (Shinde) was a staunch Shiv Sainik; he would never have walked out. He realised that Uddhav ji was trying to undercut him and make his son Aaditya Thackeray the leader. He decided if he does not quit, his politics will come to an end. The same happened in NCP. For years, Ajit Pawar was seen as the successor to Sharad Pawar, but during the last few years, Supriya ji (Sule) was pushed as the successor. Ajit Pawar realised that his politics will come to an end because he was being made the villain. So both the parties split because of internal ambitions."
Rajat Sharma: But Uddhav Thackeray as CM had the entire machinery, police, and intelligence with him, and yet his MLAs ditched him?
Fadnavis: "Uddhav Ji had lost connect with his MLAs. His MLAs could not even meet him and used to be turned away from the gates. Among them were leaders who were with Balasaheb for years. Uddhav ji then started Congress appeasement, and the MLAs were feeling suffocated. That's how Uddhav ji living on the top floor, lost touch with his ground."
Rajat Sharma: You must have helped them leave?
Fadnavis: "In politics, we are not there to play marbles (Hum sirf kanche khelne ke liye toh nahin baithe). It was a political opportunity that we encashed."
Rajat Sharma: Is it true that Fadnavis used to wear a long coat, black goggles, and a hat like Sherlock Holmes to meet people?
Fadnavis: "It may have happened once or twice. But my wife jokingly said something in an interview, which I don't know. So it became news that Fadnavis used to wear a long coat."
Rajat Sharma: When did Eknath Shinde contact you?
Fadnavis: "When Eknath Shinde crossed the Maharashtra border, he contacted me. He said, main nikal chuka hoon. I said, main hoon, chinta mat kariye, nikaliye (I am there, don't worry, get out)."
Rajat Sharma: Look, he came out. The wedding ceremony was ready. The horse was fed and kept ready. Fadnavis was to be the bridegroom, but Shinde ji sat on the throne?
Fadnavis: (Laughs) "Let me make it very clear. From Day One, it was decided that since Shinde ji had shown courage, he should be made the Chief Minister, because we needed the confidence of the MLAs who came with him. From Day One, it was decided he would be the CM. There was no other option. You can ask my leaders; it was I who first proposed Shindeji be made the CM so that the government can run with full force. The only thing that was surprising to me was that I thought I would stay out of the government, but my party decided that if the government has to run, our top person must be in the government. Us samay thoda mujhe atpata laga but later I realised the decision taken by our leaders was right. You cannot run a government by staying outside. You have to be in the government, and we won the elections and came back."
Rajat Sharma: But Shinde ji had high hopes that he would be made the CM, but he was made the Deputy CM?
Fadnavis: "Shinde ji understands politics. 145 was the number required for a majority, and BJP had won 137 seats. Shinde ji realised that when a party has won so many seats, nearing a majority, it should make its leader the CM; otherwise a wrong message will go to the workers. When our senior leaders said at the meeting that the CM will be from BJP, Shindeji immediately said, I understand; you have won so many seats. BJP deserves it."
Rajat Sharma: But Shinde ji is now saying, don't take me lightly. Main tanga palat doonga?
Fadnavis: "No, he is not speaking about me. He is speaking about Udhav ji. He upset his tonga."
Rajat Sharma: But his tonga was already upset, and all his horses have fled. He may be speaking about this (your) tonga?
Fadnavis: "No, they still take Shinde ji lightly, and then he reminds them that I have the strength to upset the tonga."
Hindu Jago, Aurangzeb
When Rajat Sharma mentioned about the "Jago Hindu Jago" video that was played during elections, Devendra Fadnavis recited the entire song on the show and said, "I wrote that song during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, in which I had taken part. I sang this song during the bhoomi poojan of the Ram Temple. That record became viral because of its recall value."
Rajat Sharma: You are saying, Jaago Hindu Jaago, why not say the same thing to Muslims?
Fadnavis: "Woh soye nahin hain, woh sotey hi nahin hain." (They are not asleep. They never sleep.)
Asked about his remark during elections that even a dog will not urinate at the place where Emperor Aurangzeb died, Fadnavis replied, "I said no dog will urinate on Aurangzeb's identity. Ab toh bhagwa laharayega poore Pakistan par. Hindustan par toh bhagwa hai hi."
Asked why, he said those who worship Aurangzeb's picture are "aulaad" (offspring) of the Mughal emperor, Fadnavis replied, "Bilkul sahi baat kahi maine. Aurangzeb can never be our hero. He was an outsider. They were not born from this sail. Aurangzeb committed atrocities on our people in the name of religion; people were killed, and temples were razed. He can never become our hero. He cannot be a hero for Indian Muslims too, because Muslims, even though they have adopted a different faith, are sons of this soil. Those who are Aurangzeb ki aulaad do not belong to this soil. We will abuse those who praise Aurangzeb."
