A Question of Answers: Congress has not walked into a trap on tehelka -

The chief whip of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Priyaranjan Das Munshi, is one of the more energetic members of the party in parliament, who keeps the members together and takes on the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on every issue ranging from disinvestment to secularism.

The Congress is rarely in an unassailable position, but Das Munshi defends the party's decisions with clarity and vigour. He defended the choice of Shankarsinh Vaghela, a former Hindutva acolyte, to lead the Congress in the assembly elections in Gujarat.

He is unapologetic about the Congress attack on tehelka probe judge Venkataswami, which led to Venkataswami's resignation.

And he rebuts the BJP's criticism of Congress president Sonia Gandhi delivering a lecture at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

Excerpts from the interview:

What are the prospects of a Congress victory in the Gujarat assembly elections?
It is too early to predict the trend. If the elections are held without there being any violence, and the people are allowed to vote without fear, then the Congress is sure to win.

There is a perception that the Congress is playing the 'soft Hindutva' card, and that this is reflected in Shankarsinh Vaghela, a former member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), leading the Congress in the elections.

It is a false perception. The Congress does not subscribe to any religious ideology, and there is no question of playing the soft Hindutva card.

Will Vaghela's RSS background be an embarrassment for the Congress?
When Vaghela joined the Congress, he accepted the principles of the party. His past will have no impact. Vaghela won his Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket. People accept him as a Congress leader.

Will Godhra be an election issue for the Congress?
The traumatic violence in Godhra and the riots that followed is entrenched in the minds of the people. It is not a good idea to remind the people of the sad moments of life. That is why the focus of the Congress campaign will be on rehabilitation and reconstruction, and the restoration of prosperity to the people of Gujarat.

It is being said that the Congress has walked into a trap set up by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the matter of tehelka probe judge Venkataswami. Did not the Congress realise that attacking the judiciary may not be a good idea?
The Congress has not walked into a trap. It is the BJP that has been exposed. The resignation of Justice Venkataswami shows that he did not have a clean conscience on the matter of accepting a second post. Otherwise, he need not have resigned. His resignation has also eroded the credibility of the BJP.

The judiciary is not a holy cow. In a democratic process, the judiciary, like the legislature, is not above criticism and suspicion, and retired judges much more so.

Will the BJP government concede to the Congress demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe?
We are pressing for it. If there can be a JPC to probe the stock market scam of March, 2001, why cannot there be a probe into the defence deals exposed by tehelka?

What do you have to say about the BJP criticism of Congress president Sonia Gandhi speaking at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS), saying that it is connected with the bin Laden family?
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the deputy chairman of the global alliance against terrorism, does not the find the centre objectionable. Why is the BJP worried about it?

The BJP is envious of the fact that Sonia Gandhi is accepted not only in the country, but also outside the country, and it feels frustrated. These invitations are not accepted in a casual manner. The Indian foreign office has been informed, and it has cleared the programme.

The winter session of Parliament has been functioning without disruption. Has the Congress Party, as the main opposition party, decided to cooperate with the government in the running of the House?
We have always cooperated with the government. This time, the government has agreed to allot parliament time for issues raised by the opposition. As long as the government does that, the opposition will cooperate with the treasury benches.