Assembly election is round the corner, you being a Lok Sabha member seems to be very active in the Bihar polls, why?
I failed to understand this. I don’t think that political and social people have boundaries or commitment to be restricted within. I was a parliamentary board member in Janata Dal, I was a secretary general with Ram Vilas Paswan ji, I was State president of Samajwadi Party (SP), I have contested Assembly election twice in Bihar on the Indian Federal Democratic Party (IFDP) ticket and on Jan Adhikar Party (JAP). When there is an election in Punjab, I go there for the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. I even campaigned in the Delhi election as well and Bihar is my home. Pappu Yadav is known as son and servant of Bihar. I am a prominent voice of Bihar.
You are sometimes seen with Rahul Gandhi, sometimes with Tejashwi Yadav and sometimes on the stage of PM Narendra Modi, are you with NDA or INDIA bloc?
I am with the ideology of Rahul Gandhi ji, my association is with Congress party. I have the blessing of Rahul Gandhi ji and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ji. For me their ideology is important. I work for the Congress party in Jharkhand and Delhi as well. If Prime Minister comes to my Parliamentary Constituency (Purnea), then I had to attend it as a part of protocol. It’s because of me Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat train was flagged off. I am known for my development. He is not the Prime Minister of BJP; he is the Prime Minister of the country. You are just making everything political.
You are talking about the protocol, so was it a part of protocol that you were not allowed to board the vehicle of Rahul Gandhi in Patna?
Since morning, I was busy in Bihar Bandh and my name was not there in the list with the security personnels. You people are just making it an agenda unnecessarily. You are free to make your own stories, Pappu Yadav is not dying for name and stage. The people of Bihar have elected me as an MP six times. I don’t feel anything even though I am humiliated, for me what matters the most is the self-respect of the people of Bihar.
You are an independent MP, has Congress accepted you?
I am in the Congress party and my Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) was merged into the Congress party in the presence of Priyanka ji so where is the question of Congress accepting me. I am with the ideology of the Congress party and spent one and half months in Jharkhand for the Congress. I did public meetings for every Congress candidate in Delhi election, Punjab and Maharashtra election.
You donate a lot; people want to know from where you get this money?
I do not have any problem in saying that I do dacoity and bring the money to donate but what about those politicians who have become millionaires after doing corruption and looting the money of people of Bihar?Do you think that I belong to a poor family? My family members are settled in the USA. Most of my family members and friends are millionaires and they donate to me because I help poor people in the crisis be it flood, crime, cyclone, accidents or any misery.
Do you want to see Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Minister of Bihar?
How much it matters, whether I want it or not? I am going ahead and working on the ideology, on the struggle and issues raised by my leader. At present Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are not the issue for Bihar. Issue is what Rahul Gandhi ji has raised like caste census, vote theft, protecting the constitution and poverty in Bihar which needs to be taken up collectively by the alliance. At present we should talk about the issues. When the people of Bihar will give a victory then the CM and the Deputy will be elected by the MLAs.
How do you see Prashant Kishor in this Assembly election?
Everyone has the right to do politics; they come and go wrapping their luggage. He first did a job in Congress party in Amethi, then he ran for Modi ji. When he was driven away from there, he then came to Nitish ji and became a leader calling Nitish ji like his father and also his right hand. Then he went to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy followed by Mamata Banerjee, then again, he went to the Congress for Khat Rally (cot rally) which failed and then moved to Captain Amrendra Singh in Punjab; then he worked for Uddhav Thackeray and Arvind Kejriwal. Today he is making allegations against many politicians, first he should answer from where he is getting the black money.
You always say that CM should be from Extremely Backward Class (EBC) or dalit.
I have been saying this for a long time that there are leaders from EBC, SC, OBC and Minority. My leader (read Rahul Gandhi) has been saying they should get their share in proportion to their population. I will stick to the statement that Bihar’s social structure and political scenario is for EBC, OBC and SC. Whoever would be the CM, it would be from EBC, SC or OBC.
What is your take on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar who is leading the State for the past 20 years?
I personally consider Bihar CM a good and honest man, however, the BJP has finished him physically and mentally. He has been tortured a lot by the BJP. I respect him a lot but at present he is not in the condition to run the State as Chief Minister. The most important thing is that ever since he has become the Chief Minister, only bureaucrats are running the government. In democracy it is not good to give all powers to bureaucracy.
Do you think, the BJP will allow him to continue as Bihar CM if voted to power?
I don’t know what BJP will do because as a political party, they themselves are on the verge of collapse in Bihar. Without Nitish ji, BJP has no identity in Bihar. If BJP will finish Nitish ji, I don’t think that BJP can become a successor.
What is your take on Chirag Paswan?
There should be a clarity on everything and I cannot comment on anyone but he has inherited politics. Even though he has inherited politics, he should choose his own path. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh politics are dashing and dynamic unlike walking on the crutches. It cannot be like this that you will remain in government and will speak against it. He dreams of becoming something, then he goes here and there. Arrogance does not work for any Yuvraj whoever has inherited politics. They need to destroy arrogance.
