Q: You have defeated Rakhi Birla, a prominent face of AAP, who has alleged that you are an outsider and that you have won only because of Modi wave. How would you react to that?
Udit Raj: Of course, there was a Modi wave. But she got defeated in her own assembly constituency. AAP lost from another assembly constituency that they had won; by a huge margin of over 44000 votes. They could not save their own support. It means that they have no loyal support and their votes were transferred. So what she is claiming is contrary to what has really happened.
Q: You were a bitter critique of BJP and RSS. What was it that changed your heart so much that you joined BJP and today you are an MP of that party? Udit Raj: Yes, around 8-10 years ago, I was a critique of BJP and RSS. But when Congress led government came at centre, I observed their working especially issues related to Dalits and marginalized people. When I compared their work with that of the Vajpayee regime, I realized that “Congress says but does not do, BJP says less but does”. So that was one of the reasons behind my shift towards BJP. BJP believes in inclusive growth. BJP earlier was considered a party of upper castes. Now it's a party of every community.
Q: Mayawati still calls BJP a party of Manuvadis.
Udit Raj: Mayawati herself is a Manuvadi and she never allows any Dalit to sit beside her. So what's this? She herself is a Manuvadi.
