Q: How do you look at Rahul Gandhi as propective PM candidate? He sounds reluctant and he has said that he does not want to be PM.
Tariq Anwar: Had he been ‘reluctant', he would not have joined politics and I don't think he will refuse if he gets the opportunity. He has got politics as part of family legacy. He can accept the challenge when the time comes. It's true that he lacks experience presently but he is born in a family where you get all these trainings automatically.
Q: BJP has almost declared Narendra Modi as its PM candidate. How do you look as Narendra Modi as PM?
Tariq Anwar: I don't think he is even a successful CM. Had he been a good CM, 2002 riots would not have taken place in Gujarat. Vajpayee would not have said that ‘Rajdharma' was not being followed by Modi. When the leader of his own party made such comments, how can he be an able PM ? Only a person, who has got the support of all sections, can be a good PM in this country. The PM of this country should have the ability of carrying along all communities. Narendra Modi lacks this ability.
And he is facing opposition within his own party. After Advani's letter, Shatrughan Sinha's statement has come to the fore and there are many other leaders who are coming out against him. It seems there is no acceptability of Modi in BJP. To me, Modi's name has been forwarded only under pressure from RSS.
Q: Coming to your own state Bihar, how do you look at the political discourse in the state after Nitish broke the alliance with BJP? According to you, what direction Bihar politics is moving to?
Tariq Anwar: It's moving in the right direction. The BJP was sitting on the shoulders of Nitish Kumar and they tried to communalize the atmosphere in Bihar in last 8 years or so. Nitish rightly dissociated himself from BJP and the secular forces will get benefit from this.
