00:00And amidst all that's happening in West Bengal, I'm now joined by former union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani,
00:07who was one of the BJP star campaigners in Bengal.
00:10One of the reasons she speaks very fluent Bengali. Appreciate your joining us, Smriti Irani.
00:15You've seen all the developments in the day. Mamata Banerjee is refusing to resign, saying this election was stolen.
00:20That's a claim that has been endorsed by Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of the opposition, including the Shiv Sena
00:29UBT.
00:30Your reactions to that, the charge that this election was stolen by the BJP in collaboration with the Election Commission?
00:40I think mar a constitutional democratic process to insult the intelligence of the invader, to also not accept a very
00:52fair, popular and abjectly evident public mood, has become the standard of opposition parties.
01:06There is a constitutionally mandated process with regards to transfer of power post an election verdict is announced.
01:16The fact that not only does the opposition show disrespect to the Indian voters' verdict, the Indian voters' bill, but
01:26also the constitutional procedures, which ensure that a government elected by the people, for the people and representing the mandate
01:35of the people.
01:38But the charge which is being made, but the charge which is being made, Smriti Irani, is that the victory
01:46was not a genuine mandate of the people, but engineered through institutional capture.
01:52The word, these are Mamata Banerjee's words, the words used by Rahul Gandhi, this is another example of vote chori.
01:58How can you capture 140 billion people?
02:06In the context of Bengal, Rahul Gandhi reform.
02:13140 crore population of this country, how can it be captured?
02:17How can 1.4 billion people be captured?
02:22How did then Trinamul, or for that matter, Congress Party, or for that matter, any other political organization that is
02:28a part of the opposition, managing to get any seats or any votes?
02:34They need to look inwards.
02:37They need to look at their own incapacities, instead of blaming the voter of constitutional and institutional processes.
02:44I think also, Mr. Sardesai, with all due respect, with all due respect, sir, it does not behove senior editors
02:52also to give any kind of credence to this kind of political delusion that the opposition has so exhibited.
03:00You know the process was fair.
03:02You were in the studio, you were on the streets, you have seen how the voter has responded,
03:09and then to give credence to this political delusion of Monta Vandipa Diyad, is genuinely doing disservice to even the
03:16ethics of journalism.
03:18You're saying that, ma'am, the fact is, we are, this is a chief minister who is going to have
03:24to, in any case, step down, because the assembly will end on the seventh question.
03:29No, no, one minute, ma'am.
03:30This was a chief minister.
03:31No, no, no, one minute, one minute, ma'am.
03:33A former chief who is going to step down, my limited point to you is, you've seen Rahul Gandhi's claims
03:39on vote chori.
03:40He's been making them for the last 12 months, that there is vote chori going on in the country.
03:44You've seen the SIR exercise, which is already being argued before the Supreme Court.
03:49Just a minute.
03:49They cannot.
03:50Just a minute.
03:51The argument they are making is 27 lakh deletions in SIR should have been made more transparent.
03:57They say the EC is not a neutral umpire.
04:06Was it neutral in Kerala?
04:09Was it neutral in Tamil Nadu?
04:13How can you cherry pick?
04:17Secondly, I think that enough data scientists are available to showcase to say that SIR is the reason why BJP
04:27got a historical mandate.
04:29is to deny the outrage of the people of Bengal, is to deny the cut money politics of the Trinamul,
04:36is to deny the sheer violence that the Trinamul gundas thrust upon the voters and the citizens of Bengal.
04:44It is to deny the corruption, which has been also transmitted through various media houses and channels,
04:51when cash was found in many Trinamul leaders' homes.
04:57You can't deny evidence that is before your eyes.
05:00What do you then believe, Smriti Rani?
05:03It gives credence to this kind of political delusion and disregards the mandate of the people of West Bengal.
05:10What can be said?
05:12You tell me.
05:14What then do you believe, Smriti ma'am?
05:19Are you of the opinion, Mr. Sadri?
05:21No, no, allow me.
05:22Yes.
05:23How is the EC fair and transparent in Kerala and in Tamil Nadu,
05:26but unfair
05:29in West Bengal?
05:33How is the EC fair in Himachal Pradesh?
05:35How is the EC fair in Jharkhand?
05:40How is the EC fair when the opposition wins,
05:42but unfair when there is an absolute popular choice of BJP led by Narendra Modi by the voters?
05:50And it is this very delusion that they exhibit, they propagate,
05:55that they continue to lose political steam in the country.
05:59What do you then believe, since you were traveling through Bengal as one of the star campaigners,
06:04was responsible for the BJP's victory and the TMC's loss?
06:09A party going from 77 to over 200, another coming down to less than 100 from over 200.
06:14Have any journalists, sir, exhibited?
06:16Haven't journalists and those who are on social media given enough evidence that it was transpiring
06:22in West Bengal?
06:24BJP karekartas in hordes came out and said their wives,
06:28their women in their homes were stripped naked and made to stand in chaurahas outside
06:33just because they were BJP workers.
06:35You've had reporter after reporter who's unbiased,
06:39who's showcased how women have been raped.
06:43Ratna Devnath is one of the biggest examples.
06:45The Sandesh Khali victim is the biggest example.
06:47What more does the state need to do to tell you how corrupt and how debauched is the Trinamul
06:53Congress?
06:56Smriti Rani ji, though in the last 24 hours since the BJP has won, there have been strange
07:01instances of violence reported of Trinamul Congress workers and offices being targeted.
07:06How do you respond, particularly as the Prime Minister has said, this is not a moment for
07:09badla, but badla.
07:11Now, is West Bengal going to actually come out of the cycle of violence or is BJP going
07:15to do what you accuse the Trinamul Congress of?
07:21Mr. Sardesai, the Prime Minister has said our politics is badla.
07:26Our politics is badla.
07:26Our politics is badla.
07:27Our politics is badla.
07:27Our politics is badla.
07:27Our politics is badla.
07:27Our politics is badla.
07:28But when was the last time, Mr. Sardesai, you held Trinamul gundas accountable in your
07:34show for raping women?
07:37When was the last time?
07:39We did a show, ma'am, ma'am, after the 2021 election, we did shows on the post-poll
07:45violence.
07:45When did you last hold?
07:47At least I have a Prime Minister leader who has appealed for peace.
07:53You tell me, when was the last time you had us responsible in one of your debates?
08:01Why is the outrage missing in you, Mr. Sardesai?
08:04Ma'am, I have looked victims in the eyes.
08:07I have looked rape victims in the eyes.
08:10How is it that you never found them when you travested?
08:15At least I have a Prime Minister who is reaching out and appealing for peace.
08:19You tell me, where did you hold Bhipo responsible when he threatened the Home Minister of India?
08:26Where is that man today?
08:30So, you are saying, you are very clear that the BJP will end this political culture of violence.
08:36That's an assurance that you believe will be implemented on the ground.
08:39Rajdeep Sardesai today, I am saying that Rajdeep Sardesai accepts that it is only the BJP that
08:47can ensure good governance and law and order enough to ensure no violence takes place.
08:53But Rajdeep Sardesai never had that expectation of Trinamul Congress.
09:03Rajdeep Sardesai, the politicians have to decide to end this cycle of violence.
09:08You, as a senior journalist, need to do a piece admonishing what has transpired today.
09:17When Mahatavandhapadhyayai refuses to accept the people's verdict.
09:22Any mindfuckalism will result in that.
09:25The people have spoken.
09:28Mahatavandhapadhyayai may want to exemplify a deluded state.
09:32But do not continue to insult the voter and the citizen.
09:37Okay, I am going to leave it.
09:38They made a deliberate, informed choice.
09:42Okay.
09:43I am going to leave it there, Smriti Rani.
09:45You have spoken as always strongly.
09:47Good to have you on the show.
09:48And as I said, it is my top story.
09:50So, we cover the stories of the day, every day.
09:54Thank you very much for joining me on the show tonight.
09:57Thank you, sir.
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