BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, known for being an unsparing critic of Narendra Modi, said on Tuesday that he believes Mamata Banerjee ought to be Prime Minister, underscoring the need for a strong Opposition, and lashing out at the “creeping fascism” where the media is browbeaten.
The 83-year-old politician-economist who makes no bones about being a hardliner Hindu nationalist, was in the city for a freewheeling chat in an event organised by Ficci FLO, Calcutta.
“I have lots of friends, across political divides. Mamata Banerjee is one. Yes, I think she should be Prime Minister of India, if you ask me…,” said the former Union minister, forced to pause by loud protests from an audience of 230-odd, largely comprising women, at a hotel in Calcutta.
The event, “Dr. Subramanian Swamy Unplugged”, saw him in conversation with author and journalist Kaveree Bamzai. “I see women protesting against a woman,” laughed a somewhat surprised Swamy.
Despite disapproval from many in the audience, Swamy persisted.
“Gutsy woman… look at how she fought the communists.... Nobody had the guts to stand up to the communists, she did and knocked them out,” he said.
“I am in touch (with Mamata).... I met her about 10 days ago, but nobody knows about it. The conversation was about what 2024 should be, how the economy should be,” he said.
He stressed the importance of the nation having a genuine Opposition — on the sidelines, he said he was sure theBJP would retain power in 2024, but not so sure about Modi remaining Prime Minister and said a lot would be determined by the outcome of Assembly polls in a number of states.
“I do think the country needs a genuine Opposition, which cannot be blackmailed by people in power. She (Mamata) is impossible to blackmail...,” said Swamy.
“But I know a lot of politicians today will not go beyond a point in dealing with the present government, because they are afraid the ED will turn up, the CBI will turn up....,” he said.
He rued the state of media in Modi’s so-called NewIndia.
“Today, the status of our media is pathetic. They are told by one junior joint-secretary of the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) everyday, why did you publish this, why did you show that… (they threaten to) cut off all the government advertisements. This is what is called creeping fascism,” said Swamy.
During the course of the chat, Swamy also expressed many hardline Hindutva views and bitterly criticised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Asked to comment on the Narendra Modi government’s role in handling the recent Adani debacle, he said: “There is only way proper to deal with the Adani issue, and that is by Prime Minister Modi resigning his post.”
“He (Gautam Adani) could not have done anything without Modi’s clearance...,” said Swamy.
Critical of Modi for allegedly hogging credit for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Swamy said: “He did nothing and took all the credit.”
“This craze for position is not Hindu…. I nowadays compare Modi to Ravan,” he added.
