No Modi wave, it is all created by vested interests: Krishna

B D Narayankar reports:

        Bangalore, Apr 2 (PTI) Dismissing any "Modi wave", senior
Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister S M
Krishna today said it was a propaganda by "vested interests"
and took a jibe at the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate for
"sidelining" senior leaders.
        "We have seen those (Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi)
waves. They were natural waves which emanated from the hearts
of people ... but here the wave which has been created by
vested interests is only to be talked and written about, but
on the ground we do not see any wave (of Modi)," he told
reporters.
        Asked why Congress was delaying announcing its candidate
against Modi from Varanasi if there was no "Modi wave", he
said it would decide on it and there was plenty of time.
        "Congress will announce the candidate. According to the
calendar of events, Karnataka elections are going to held in
the earlier phase and elections in Uttar Pradesh are going to
be held at later phase, so there is plenty of time," the
former Minister for External Affairs said before his roadshow
in support of his party candidates in Bangalore.
    He also alleged that lands of farmers had been given to
companies like Adani at "questionable price".
    "The kind of land dealings in Gujarat, they are just
mindboggling. Thousands of acres of land have been given away
to Adani and other one or two industrial hubs ... It is the
price which when you are going through it, you just feel sorry
for the farmers of Gujarat," he charged.
        Asked whether Congress is in good position to capitalise
on differences in the top BJP leadership, Krishna said, "That
will be known on May 16 (counting day)."
        Commenting on the "sidelining" of senior BJP leaders
including L K Advani and Jaswant Singh by Modi, Krishna said
"There is a veneer of dictatorship ... God forbid it if
something is going to happen where would be our democracy.
Then we will have to ask wither democracy, a big question
mark."
    On various "scams" during the UPA rule, Krishna said
Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, believe in
transparency "which is reflected in the corrective actions"
taken by the party.
   "Congress has an inbuilt machinery for bringing about
corrective actions ...Whereever it is necessary we handed over
the matter to CBI and referred to other investigative agencies
- that shows Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi-
they believe in certain transparency," he said.
    On Congress giving tickets to "tainted ministers" like
Pawan Kumar Bansal and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok
Chavan (despite Adarsh scam), Krishna said, "As long as they
have not been convicted, I think they are entitled to be
treated like anybody else - like you and me."
    Asked why Congress was making an issue when former BJP
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and mining baron Janardhana
Reddy also have not been convicted, he said, "Isn't it a fact
that somebody ended up in jail..."
   On former Union Minister C K Jaffer Sharief deserting
Congress and impact of his exit on minority votes, Krishna
said in its 129 years of existence the party has the capacity
to bounce back even after losing stalwarts including
Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.
   Asked whether Aam Aadmi Party posed any challenge in the
state, Krishna said his respect for it would have gone up if
they had continued to govern Delhi.
    "I was looking forward that they would bring changes.Yes,
they brought in some fresh air into the theatre, but perhaps
their inexperience prevented them from continuing in office
beyond 49 days. I think that's where they failed," he said.