New Delhi, March 23 Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh, responding to the controversy surrounding 16th-century Rajput king Rana Sanga, said on Sunday that the BJP is digging up history to divert people’s attention from real issues.
In an interview with IANS, Virendra Singh spoke on a range of issues concerning Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman’s statement on the Rana Sanga and Sambhal mosque controversy.
Excerpts:
IANS: Your party MP Ramji Lal Suman has called Rana Sanga a traitor and an aide of Babur. What will you say?
Virendra Singh: The BJP has nothing to say, so it is turning the pages of history backwards, in a planned way. They (BJP) are talking about those cruel rulers who tortured the people during their rule. In such a situation, we have told the government that instead of turning the pages of history, they should have told what they have done in the last 10 years since this country elected the BJP and Modi ji with great expectations. He had promised that Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in the accounts and black money will be brought back. They should discuss that. They (BJP) had said that two crore people will be given jobs every year. The country's economy is heading towards the abyss. We should discuss how people can be happy, money can go into the common man's pockets, and markets can run. And let's discuss about how to bring smiles to people's faces. They are turning the pages of history which neither they nor any political party has the power to change.
IANS: What are your views about Rana Sanga?
Virendra Singh: As far as I have heard about Rana Sanga, he was a brave warrior and he won all the battles he fought. Rajput society is proud of Rana Sanga but is not proud of Jaichand and as far as I have heard, our MP had also taken the name of Jaichand inside the House but the media did not highlight Jaichand and tried to heat up the atmosphere by talking about Rana Sanga which is not right.
IANS: BJP is supporting Rana Sanga and attacking the Samajwadi Party. What will you say?
Virendra Singh: When the pages of history are turned back, then those days will also have to be remembered when Chhatrapati Shivaji had to be anointed to make him a king, then people of which community applied tilak with the thumb of the left foot. They did not like to be touched by hands. This is also written in history, should this not be discussed? I am saying that we cannot change anything. Those pages of history are only for the study that which king was what kind, whether we glorify them or create an objectionable environment against them, this is not going to benefit the country.
IANS: Akhilesh Yadav has also supported Ramji Lal Suman. Will the Rajputs not be angry with your party?
Virendra Singh: I had heard so much that our national president had told Ramji Lal Suman that there is no need to dig up the pages of history, he neither supported him nor opposed him. He (Akhilesh Yadav) advised him that we should avoid looking at the pages of history, and what events took place.
IANS: Was Maharana Pratap also defeated by Akbar?
Virendra Singh: Battles were fought for several hundred years. The Battle of Haldighati is one of the most famous fights. Maharana Pratap liked to eat roti made of grass and did not like to bow before any Muslim ruler. Rajput society is proud of this and nothing else can be said about Maharana Pratap except pride.
IANS: Was Babar a kind ruler?
Virendra Singh: Those who wrote the history of Babar have written good things about him on some pages but there are many pages in history in which he has been depicted as an invader. It should be left to the historians to decide how much honesty they show while writing history. This can be a matter of debate. It can be a subject of research but it cannot be a subject of discussion.
IANS: The head of the mosque committee in Sambhal has been taken into custody by the police. What will you say about this?
Virendra Singh: This is law and order. The Bharatiya Janata Party is in power in the state. For what crime did they find evidence, and for what reason did they arrest them, it will be known what is right and what is wrong when they are presented in the court.
IANS: If your government comes to power, will the Muslims get their rights? Will their mosque and other properties in Sambhal be returned?
Virendra Singh: Our government follows the Constitution, we are not guided by history, we run by the Constitution and our Constitution is everything, Gita is everything, so whenever our government is formed, we will follow the values of the Constitution.
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