INTERVIEW | I wear Rs 500 Titan watch & Rudraksh; Cong wears Hublot and appeases terrorists: Bommai

| Updated: 08 May, 2023 5:41 pm IST

KANAKAPURA: With May 10th fast approaching, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai exudes confidence like a leader who knows he’s going to win. Despite facing opposition from the Congress with their ‘PayCM’ and rate card campaign and controversies like the Nandini vs. Amul case, Bommai remains unfazed.

We caught up with him as he prepared to leave for Kanankapura, the home-turf of Congress’s probable CM face DK Shivakumar. He predicts that the BJP will exceed its 2018 tally of 104 seats and win more than 120 seats time around.

Over dosas and Vada, and taking a short break between his relentless campaigning that has left him with a sore throat, the leader delves into the burning issues that affect Karnataka. Terrorism, hijab, conversions, Congress’s corruption allegations, and how his father’s teachings keep him grounded as he seek another term in power are among the poignant and inspiring topics discussed in this interview with Executive Editor Rohan Dua.

Excerpts from the interview:

Rohan Dua: Your next stop is DK Shivakumar’s constituency Kanakapura. What is your message for him?

Bommai: We’re confident of our victory, as there is a significant groundswell of support for the BJP. Prime Minister Modi’s roadshow has further proven this. My message to DK Shivakumar and the people of Kanakapura is simple: we’re committed to winning every single constituency.

Rohan Dua: You and your father SR Bommai share a rare distinction with Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda, both father and son serving as CMs of Karnataka. What lessons have you learned from his illustrious career that you’re taking with you as you seek another term as CM?

Bommai: I learned never to compromise on my principles from him. He was a man of great legal understanding and righteousness. He was never hungry for power. Even when there were allurements for defection, he remained an honest leader all his life.

Rohan Dua: You do not carry the air and arrogance of someone who is in power. You are known for your simplicity, and you very proudly wear your Rudraksh. How does it feel to be with a party that allows you to own your identity?

Bommai: Yes, I still wear a Rs 500 Titan watch unlike the Hublot worn by some leaders. As for Rudraksh, I have been wearing it since childhood. This has no political reasons. It is a symbol of my devotion. As far as BJP is concerned, it is a nationalist party. There is space for everyone here, but not for appeasement politics.

Rohan Dua: What is your biggest achievement of the last two and a half years, something that you are extremely proud of?

Bommai: The Bengaluru-Mysore superhighway is one of the most important linkages, not only between Bengaluru and Mysore, but it connects South to North. Similarly, a six-lane from Bengaluru to Belgaum has had a tremendous economic impact, and the third development that has been brought in is ports. But my biggest dream is to turn Bengaluru into a manufacturing hub for airplanes.

Rohan Dua: Do remarks like PayCM and the rate-card that Congress took out alleging corruption hurt you?

Bommai: Yes, one is hurt, but I take it in my stride. I do take the allegations seriously, but when they are made by a party whose hands are blackened by corruption, such claims fail to make any impact.

Rohan Dua: These claims are being made by someone like DK Shivakumar, whose wealth has risen exponentially in the last few years. As a man sitting in the Opposition, he has declared assets worth Rs. 1400 crores, and investigations are ongoing.

Bommai: For Congressmen, it makes no difference whether they are in Opposition or Power. They always try to swindle and siphon money, using different tactics that no other party can have. The Congress party’s hand was blackened by corruption during Siddaramaiah’s time. There was corruption on all fronts.

Rohan Dua: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invoked the film The Kerala Story, which shows how ISIS preys upon innocent girls, converts them, and turns them into recruits. What do you have to say about that?

Bommai: Such cases also happen in Karnataka, not just confined to Kerala. This was said by none other than Oommen Chandy, the former Congress Chief Minister of Kerala, on the floor of the House. Every year, 25,000 women are converted, married, and then recruited in ISIS ranks. A Congress CM has said it. But for Congress, appeasement politics is more important, that’s why they are seeking a ban on it.

Rohan Dua: What do you have to say about their proposed ban on Bajrang Dal?

Bommai: The Congress made such a misadventure because they are ruled by radical Islamic organizations like PFI and SDPI. Banning Bajrang Dal is a PFI demand.

Rohan Dua: Karnataka, in the past, has been the center of terror modules. Bhatkal, known to be a haven for Indian Mujahideen, made headlines around two decades ago due to various terror cases and bomb blasts in Delhi’s posh areas. How do you ensure that incidents never happen again?

Bommai: I was the Home Minister when Bhatkal happened. With the help of the Government of India and NIA, we have ensured that no such incident is repeated. We have busted sleeper cells, and all the kingpins were nabbed. We have put more than 15 terrorists in Tihar jail. There is no such incident after Modi ji came back to power. Earlier, there were bomb blasts here and there every three months – be it in Hyderabad, Chennai, or Coimbatore because of the attitude of the previous regime. After the arrival of Modi, such activities have stopped. No such incident would happen under the BJP’s watch.

Rohan Dua: How many seats do you predict for the BJP?

Bommai: We will cross the magic figure plus 10.