Sheila DikshitDelhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit spoke to Editor Prabhu Chawla on Seedhi Baat on tridents, immigrants and the coming assembly elections.Q. The Sangh Parivar is distributing tridents and the Congress has failed to lodge a protest. Will this have an effect on the polls? A. I do not think it is a big deal to distribute tridents to 200-250 people for Rs 500 each. A trident has no political significance. Governments cannot be formed on the basis of tridents or bricks for temples.Q. Did the Rajasthan chief minister then overreact? A. He has taken the correct step. Tridents create an atmosphere of fear. I had requested the governor for a ban in Delhi, but he assured me that nothing would happen.Q. Why this difference in approach in Rajasthan and Delhi? A. It differs from place to place. For example, the circumstances in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were also different.Q. You have an image of a sophisticated lady. Is that why you hesitated to take action? A. (Laughs) I am not hi-fi at all. But it is true that we can't use the language Pravin Togadia uses.Q. It seems that you are a leader of the upper class, not of the common people. A. Only the election results can reveal whether this is true. Why are you accusing me of being elitist? I hope I am the darling of the people not only of the media.Q. It is believed that your intimacy with Sonia Gandhi is the basis of your strength and that you will lose if your party colleagues hold a secret ballot of confidence. A. Let there be a secret ballot. Sonia Gandhi is the party head and capable of judging people.Q. Your Government has been issuing ration cards to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. A. What can we do? Why can't these people be checked at the borders?Published By: AtMigration Published On: May 26, 2003--- ENDS ---
