Was born in the RSS, I am a swayamsewak even today: Ghanshyam Tiwari

Senior BJP leader and sitting legislator from Jaipur, Ghanshyam Tiwari, quit BJP party and floated his own party, on Monday. dna’s Mukesh Sharma spoke to the veteran leader regarding his plans and why he took four years to quit BJP.

You took four years to leave the BJP. Was it because the central leadership did not pay heed to your grievance?

Ghanshyam Tiwari: I have always been talking about the interest of both Rajasthan and its people. I made numerous attempts to make the Central leadership aware about the institutional corruption of power and organisation over the past four years. But the Central leadership did nothing. Attempts are being made to loot Rajasthan with the help of Central leaders. The leadership has knelt down before chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Yachna nahi ab rann hoga, sangharsh ab bhishan hoga. (I will not plead anymore and instead will go all out to fight a fierce battle.)

You have been one of the founding members of BJP in state. Are you not disappointed that you are having to quit the party?

Absolutely. I am feeling very sad. I am saying this with a very heavy heart and I have taken this extreme step after a lot of consideration. I am the one who fights for democracy and hence cannot see the democratic rights of the people being harmed. I am a follower of Jai Narayan Vyas who was associated with the Congress. After the emergency, he too broke ties with the Congress.

Will you still stay with the RSS?

I was born in the RSS. I was a swayamsevak (volunteer) yesterday and I am a swayamsevak even today. RSS is a conceptual organisation and in that capacity both my views and that of the RSS are the same.

Are you fighting the BJP or chief minister Vasundhara Raje?

There is no difference between BJP and Vasundhara Raje in the state. Whether one fights the BJP or Raje, it is the same thing.

The top BJP leadership had served you a notice on charges of indiscipline. Your take on it...

I gave a detailed reply to the Central leadership on the notice and even printed a book of my reply and sent it to 5,000 BJP leaders, but no one has so far taken any stand on it.

You have formed a new party six months before the elections. Will it be able to make its presence felt in state with Congress and BJP around?

Our fight is with both the Congress and the BJP. Deen Dayal Vahini (DDV) has been working in the state for the past two years. We have formed the organisation in the entire state in just two years. Now, the political party of the DDV has been formed as Bharat Vahini Party (BVP) and under it we will take the political route.