‘Ram forced to live in tent, Modi built him a magnificent temple’ — BJP’s Sirsa candidate Ashok Tanwar

Sirsa: Claiming that the Hindu god Ram was forced to live in a tent like a “person living below the poverty line” for 550 years, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashok Tanwar said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who built him a “magnificent temple”.

In an interview with ThePrint, Tanwar, the BJP’s candidate from Sirsa in Haryana, said: “Modi ji ki khasiyant hai ki woh sapno ko haqiqat mein badal dete hai, aur jo sankalp lete hai usse poora karke dikhate hai (Modi ji is known to turn dreams into reality and accomplishes what he resolves),” he said while speaking at his Sirsa residence.

Once known to be close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Tanwar is a former Sirsa MP who held the seat from 2009 to 2014. He quit the party in 2019 when his political rival Kumari Selja replaced him as the Haryana Congress president and had brief stints at parties like the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi (AAP) before joining the BJP in January.

A fortnight before the state votes in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Tanwar spoke to ThePrint about his electoral prospects in Sirsa, the BJP’s chances, and the protests his party has been facing in the state.

Children holding BJP flags ahead of Ashok Tanwar's election meeting | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

Children holding BJP flags ahead of Ashok Tanwar’s election meeting | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

On BJP’s ‘well-oiled machinery’   

Once considered the stronghold of former Haryana chief minister and farmer leader Devi Lal’s clan, Sirsa — a reserved seat — is currently with BJP’s Sunita Duggal. Here, Tanwar is up against not only Congress leader Selja, who’s making a comeback to the constituency after 26 years but also Indian National Lok Dal’s Sandeep Lot and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) Ramesh Khatak.

However, the BJP leader is confident that his party will secure not only Sirsa but also all 10 of the state’s parliamentary seats. “People want to see Modi ji return as prime minister for the third time,” he said. “The entire country wants to see India turn into the third biggest economic power under Modi ji”.

Who does he see as a real challenger in Sirsa this election? Tanwar’s response is quick — BJP’s only real competitor this election is itself.

“How to double or triple our victory margin is the challenge in the BJP today. The party has set itself the target of getting at least 370 votes more than it got at every booth level in 2019,” he said.

For this, the party has increased its voter outreach activities at the grassroots. “Our party has a well-oiled machinery that keeps serving the people throughout the year. I am confident the results will be very good,” Tanwar said.

Sirsa BJP candidate Ashok Tanwar leaves the election meeting | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

Sirsa BJP candidate Ashok Tanwar leaves the election meeting | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

‘Bina parchi, bina kharchi ki sarkar’

During his interview, Tanwar spoke about the work that the party has done for farmers in the last few years — including crediting Rs 4,500 crore “straight to farmers’ accounts”.

Tanwar is also quick to discount the protests and demonstrations that BJP candidates in the state — including himself — have been facing from farmers while campaigning for the parliamentary elections. Those in the forefront of these protests are “office-bearers of other political parties”, he claimed. “(Genuine) farmers are always welcome to tell us their problems. They have done so in the past.”

The BJP governments at both the Centre and the state have done much for farmers, he claimed.

“Farmers are getting MSP (minimum support price) on 14 crops in Haryana. The main crops of wheat and rice are procured and stored by the government. Earlier, these grains would rot in godowns. Now, it’s filling the empty bellies of people (through a free ration scheme). The (central) government has decided to provide this free ration for the next five years too,” the BJP leader said, adding that the state’s ‘Bina Parchi, Bina Kharchi Ki Sarkar’ (incorruptible government) has benefitted its people.

‘Congress-mukt, Opposition-mukt Bharat’

Promising to bring agro-based and other industries to Sirsa, Tanwar said that a victory for the BJP and him here was a step towards ensuring that India stays on the path of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

“Earlier, the biggest challenge to attract the industry was bad roads and connectivity. However, a world-class infrastructure has been set up across the country in the last 10 years. So, the whole world wants to invest in India,” he claimed.

Tanwar defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial statements targeting India’s minorities, saying they were based on the Congress manifesto. He also dismissed the allegations that the BJP intends to “change” the Constitution if the National Democratic Alliance crossed 400 this time.

Instead, he accused opposition parties of working at the “behest of forces from across the world who didn’t want to see India marching ahead”.

“Those who use the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar to claim danger to the Constitution are in fact in danger themselves. They know that the country will soon be Congress mukt (free) and Opposition mukt,” he said.

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)