Political difference

'People like Amar Singh thrive on publicity and there is every possibility that the whole tapping episode is a sponsored operation directed by him'-Arvind Singh 

Sandeep Yadav Delhi
Being the younger brother of Amar Singh, a man with a fragile ego and fiery
temper, is a difficult task. Today when Arvind Singh has joined Congress, he is frank about his future plans, politics and brother in a conversation with Hardnews.

Why Congress? You have opted to join a party that is struggling to make its base in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Do you not think Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would have been a wiser choice in your political fight against your brother?

First, I want to make it very clear that I have no personal score to settle with Amar Singh nor am I in politics to fight him. I joined Congress because I believe in the principles and ideals of the party. It is the only party in the country which has never indulged in caste , religious or regional politics. The secular credentials of the party can not be questioned. In fact I had always had a soft corner for the congress. As far as BSP is concerned, a party where a Kshatriya is regarded as a second-grade citizen is not my cup of tea.

If you had always had so much love for the Congress why were you in Azamgarh for almost a month during the general elections and canvassing for the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate who eventually won?

I was an apolitical man till that time and only went to Azamgarh because Amar Singh had asked me to go there. Like a dutiful Laxman I was only obeying the orders of an elder brother. It had nothing to do with my political ideology, but was a task assigned to me which I wanted to do to satisfy my brother.

Laxman never revolted against Ram in mythology. From a dutiful Laxman to   a political opponent is a sad metamorphosis. What went wrong between you two?

Amar Singh is a very short-tempered, egoistic and insecure person. During my door-to-door campaigning in Azamgarh I had build a rapport with the masses and one Bijender Singh had called me there for a religious function in May last year. Amar Singh came to know of this and next day Bijender received a fax from Lucknow announcing his expulsion from the party. When I called Amar to protest against his high-handedness I was told that he was busy. I have never heard from him ever since.

Not a very convincing reason for you to draw cudgels against Amar Singh. If ever you had to fight him you could have done it better by joining SP. What is your take?

Nobody can stay in SP after disagreeing with Amar Singh. SP is not a political party anymore but a private limited company whose chairman is Mulayam Singh Yadav and director finance is Amar Singh. He has brought glamour and fashion in a party which talks about socialism. The hypocrisy of Amar Singh is evident when he alights from a 60 lakh car with a film actress in tow with both of them wearing a Gandhi cap on Gandhi Jayanti. If he is a socialist then nobody is below poverty line in India. He is a drawing-room politician and the biggest fixer in Indian politics. This culture of glamour has totally infected the SP and I see no place for myself with these people.

But Amar Singh never claims to be a politician; in fact he is on record claiming himself to be a vayapari (businessman). The party feels obliged to him for bringing all the big industrialists to invest in UP and film stars like Amitabh Bachchan are in the SP fold today courtesy Amar Singh. Don't you think he has earned this strong position in the party?

As far as I know he has a 9 MW power plant in Karnataka which sells power to the Karnataka state electricity board and fetches him about  Rs 80 lakh  annually. Apart from that I know of no other business. What vayapaar does he do? Is it so shameful that he does not want anybody to know about it?  As far as investment in UP is concerned all of it is in the files only.  Not a single rupee has been invested anywhere. The so called UP development council has its members from Mumbai and elsewhere. Is there no industrialist in UP who could have become its member? Amitabh Bachchan is still repaying the debt to Amar Singh for the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) case which Amar helped him to come out of by taking the help of former prime minister Chandra Shekhar. Ever since he has used Amitabh and is still using him. Amar spends 14 days in Switzerland but cannot stay 4 hours in Azamgarh. Every weekend he spends in Mumbai while he has no business there. What does he do there? The man is bringing nothing but a bad name to the party and muddying Indian politics.

What do you feel about the phone tapping your brother is making so much hue and cry about. Is he angry because his phone has been tapped or about some conversation that could embarrass him?
Amar Singh bahut bade kalakar hain (he is a big dramatist). He thrives on publicity and there is every possibility that the whole tapping incident is a sponsored operation directed by him only. I don't think any political party can gain anything by having his phone tapped. He is only blaming Soniaji and Congress to tell his friends in the film and corporate world that he is so powerful that even the ruling party at the centre is scared of him and keeps an eye on his activities. Give me one good reason why Congress would do it? The inquiry is on and we shall know the truth.
 
The urban development minister, UP, Mohammad Azam Khan has recently commented that Congress has found a Sikhandi in Arvind Singh. You have already caused ruffles in the SP camp.
It is a flattering comment. The role of Sikhandi cannot be ignored in Mahabharata. Killing Bhishma would not have been possible if there was no Sikhandi.