JEDDAH: Abdul Bari Siddiqui is a veteran politician from Bihar. A close aide of colorful and popular Indian politician Lalu Prasad Yadav, he played a key role in the recent victory of secular forces over the communal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He is finance minister in the Nitish Kumar government and wields immense political clout in the state. A product of Jayaprakash Narayan’s socialist movement, he is the leading light of electoral politics, having won elections to the Bihar Assembly on seven occasions. He is currently seen as the tallest leader of Muslims in Bihar.

Siddiqui performed Umrah on Monday and is currently in Jeddah. He spoke to Arab News on a number of issues. Following are the excerpts from the interview:

Q: You are here after a stupendous victory for you and your party in the Bihar Assembly elections in October/November last year. Who was in your prayers when you were circumambulating the Holy Kaaba as you performed Umrah?

A: There is no political angle to this visit. It is purely a religious and personal visit. When we come here to the holy land, we try and seek Allah’s forgiveness.

Q: You must have also said thanksgiving prayers for your victory?

A: Of course. During the course of electioneering, I made a vow to perform Umrah regardless of whether we won or lost. Coming here is Allah’s blessing. We want to come here as often as we can.

Q: On Nov. 8, 2015, when the Bihar election results started pouring in, what was your reaction? Did you expect such a landslide win for your party and your alliance partners.

A: All along we were convinced that the BJP could be checked only when all secular forces were brought together. A year before the Bihar elections, Jharkhand went to the polls, and it was pretty evident then that only by marshaling the resources of all secular parties would we be able to defeat the BJP. I was there in Jharkhand to campaign for one of our candidates in November 2014. (Jharkhand was once part of Bihar state and became an independent state in November 2000). I felt that the rise of the BJP in Jharkhand could be checked if there were a secular alliance. But there was none. And the result was clear — the BJP won. Even before the Jharkhand elections, during the parliamentary elections in May 2014 which brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power, the BJP juggernaut could have been stopped in Bihar if we, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) and Congress, had fought the elections together. We would have won at least 30 seats in the Lok Sabha. (Of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the BJP and its poll partners won 31 seats, thus propelling Modi to the top). Having realized our mistake in not coming together in the May 2014 parliamentary elections, we accelerated the campaign to join hands for the assembly elections and consolidate the secular vote. By the grace of Allah, our leaders and our parties were successful.

Q: Were you expecting the kind of landslide which you eventually won?

A: Our leaders were confident that the people of Bihar would reject the kind of divisive and dirty politics that the BJP was playing. The kind of statements that the BJP leaders were making against the people of Bihar, against one particular community… It looked as if Hitler had been reincarnated. There was not just one Hitler in the form of Modi, but there was another in the form of Amit Shah. The entire Modi Cabinet was pressed into service in Bihar during the campaigning. Even in smaller towns, every day two to three helicopters were landing with BJP bigwigs. That is when we realized that the BJP was in panic mode. Then the infamous statement by BJP chief Amit Shah — that if the BJP lost in Bihar there would be celebrations in Pakistan — united the Muslims of Bihar like never before.

Q: Plus, there was a statement opposing reservations for the underprivileged by the BJP’s ideological organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

A: Yes. And recently the RSS chief has said that democracy and socialism were irrelevant, and that the concepts were imported from outside.

Q: Is that what Mohan Bhagwat said?

A: Yes, Mohan Bhagwat said that democracy and socialism are alien to us. If there were no democracy, how would Modi have come to power? This means that the RSS does not have faith in our Constitution. If they really believed in our Constitution, they would not make such a statement. The preamble to our Constitution clearly states that we are a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. How then can you say that democracy is alien to us? That would mean you want to take India back to the feudal system.

Q: You are seen as a very close and staunch supporter of your party chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav. You have stood by him through thick and thin for more than 25 years. There was a belief and conviction that you would be made deputy chief minister, but instead he made his inexperienced 26-year-old son, Tejashwi Yadav, deputy chief minister.

A: With the kind of politics we are witnessing, what options do we have? If you go anywhere else, people will say these people were greedy. They were after power and posts. I advised my followers and my community and my voters that this time you have voted for yourself. I had never seen this kind of political fervor in the community before. There was a massive increase in the number of Muslims who voted. The vote was against the BJP. Now that they have accomplished the ultimate goal, they should avoid stretching their hands. If you beg for anything, then that will lower the prestige of our community. Therefore, I have no ill-will, no regrets. (“Koyee malaal nahi hai.”) Our primary goal was the defeat of the BJP. Everything else is secondary.

Q: So united was the Muslim community against the BJP in Bihar that it completely rejected Asaduddin Owaisi’s rising Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM). During the campaigning Owaisi repeatedly said that the secular parties merely seek Muslim votes for electoral victories. Once victory is achieved they are forgotten and are given inconsequential ministries or portfolios. The same thing happened in Bihar. Muslims were given inconsequential ministries. You are the only exception. In that sense, Owaisi stands vindicated, doesn’t he?

A: Minorities, wherever they are, are always very conscious. They are very sensitive. They are very politically alive. For minorities, democracy is very important. That is their only tool of empowerment. All I can say in response to your question is that the kind of fervor and unity that the minorities demonstrated during this election was unparalleled. Those who want to weaken the minorities will be unable to do so. When Lalu Prasad Yadav was chief minister, there were nearly eight Cabinet ministers from the community. They held important portfolios. The kind of electoral power that Muslims have demonstrated, they should maintain and keep that political capital intact. “Abhi ranjish ka waqt nahi hai.” (This is not the time to feel unhappy or piqued.)

Q: OK, but what is strange is that the budgetary allocation for minorities has actually gone down. Isn’t this adding insult to injury?

A: We have taken this very seriously. I have instructed the relevant departments and officials to redress this situation. However, I would like to state that we have made other provisions in the budget that will directly benefit minorities. In the seven districts of Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Motihari and Sitamarhi, we would set up high schools, technical colleges and medical colleges. We are very serious about this. I have instructed the officials that we have to execute what I announced in the assembly. It will be done. In the next budget, things will be much clearer and much better.

Q: After being in the news for all the good reasons, suddenly we are hearing about the return of the “jungle raj” because of high-profile crimes. What is happening?

A: Our government is not protecting criminals. These incidents have a bad effect on our government. In Gaya, the accused belongs to the ruling party, but the ruling party did not interfere in the functioning of the police and law-enforcement agencies. The government is committed to maintaining law and order.

Q: Is there a conspiracy to defame your government?

A: Maybe. These are unfortunate incidents and if our government has shown any laxity or leniency toward the criminals, you should criticize us and expose us. You can check the statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau. Look at the crime rate in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana. Unfortunately, Bihar has become everybody’s favorite punching bag.

Q: You are the finance minister and we want to know what has become of Modi’s much-marketed, much-touted “Bihar Package”? Has the money started coming in, or after the electoral defeat, has the prime minister forgotten about it?

A: The federal government is indulging in a lot of financial juggling. I still believe that the prime minister of the country does not lie. He promised a special package to Bihar of 125 crore Indian rupees. So far, we have not received a single paisa of that package. (“Ab tak ek paisa nahi mila”).

Q: On May 19, results will be out for the just-concluded elections in Assam, West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. What is your assessment?

A: In these elections, we feel that the BJP will do slightly better in Assam but we hope they will not be able to form a government there. If that happens, then it means that it has been squarely defeated (“chaaro khaane chit ho gayee”) in the sense that they are not in the game in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Punjab, their allies will not form the government. I think the BJP will face total defeat. After that defeat, it is my reading that it will play purely communal politics. This is the reason why minorities need to be very cautious. They need to be totally united. They need to take recourse to strategic politics.

Q: In 2017, assembly elections are due in Uttar Pradesh.

A: Even in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP will not be successful. I don’t know if Mulayam Singh Yadav or BSP or any political alliance will win there, but the BJP will not win.

Q: In Uttarakhand, the BJP played a dangerous game of toppling an elected government. You must be worried at the abuse of Article 356 by the federal government?

A: Democracy is alive in our country. The Modi government played a very dirty game. Such dirty games weaken a functioning democracy. Thanks to the timely intervention of the judiciary and to the fighting spirit of our democratic forces, the nefarious game was stopped.