One by one, Narendra Modi has dismantled all institutions of accountability: Prashant Bhushan

Q: What is your opinion on the Supreme Court collegiums and National Judicial Accountability Bill?

A: There is an attempt to control the judiciary through the judicial commission. It looks like the National Judicial Accountability Bill will have to go and the collegiums will have to remain.

Q: Was Jitender Singh Tomar one of the 12 AAP candidates whom you had complaints against?

A: No. He wasn't in the list at the time. This issue of his (fake) degree had come up through an RTI reply, but since the authenticity of the RTI reply was suspicious, we asked AAP to send someone to verify the correctness of his degree. They did not do that. Days before the election there was a petition filed (against him), and AAP should have been fully alert and verified the facts. Later, Bar Council was also informed that his degree was fabricated. He should have been removed but continued in office as Law minister. He was handling cash in Varanasi for Kejriwal's election. That could have been the compulsion for keeping him on.

Q: How do you see the performance of the BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre?

A: I do not know much about the state, but can comment on the Central government's performance. On the positive side, Modi appears to be making efforts to distance himself from his communal past, working hard and making progress with respect to relations with other countries. He is also making an effort to make a development model based on China.

But there has been an increased assertion by Sangh Parivar on communalism. Various acts of communal hatred were perpetrated in various parts of the country. With respect to China-based development model, 'Make In India', which is about removing obstacles, is no longer viable. The first negative is that it is based on consumption of energy and mineral resources. These are depleting, so it cannot (sustain) consumption. It comes with very serious environmental and social problems like land acquisition. Therefore this model will not sustain itself.

On the issue of corruption, no major scam has hit this government. Modi is trying to be careful. But for any scam to come out takes time. Modi is dismantling institutions of accountability. He has destroyed the Central Vigilance Commission by putting up a corrupt man. Chief Information Commissioner appointments were not done for a long time. A pliable man was made Central Bureau of Investigation director. In the same way, they are trying to contain the judiciary. They have also diluted the Prevention of Corruption Act. In their party, there is complete control through Amit Shah, and in the government no one else's voice counts. This is not good for democracy. It was the same thing with the Congress and now AAP and BJP. So there is nothing good about the government, and it is weighed down by many negatives.

Q: What is the status of the enquiry into 'Diarygate', and are you satisfied with it?

A: The Supreme Court has ordered an enquiry into the matter and has asked the CVC to (assist in investigation of Sinha) respond. The current CVC was himself a frequent visitor to Ranjit Sinha's house. KV Chowdary was a frequent visitor and his case too was being enquired into (by Sinha).

Q: Recently, Special Public Prosecutor of Maharashtra, Rohini Salian, made a statement that she was being pressurized by the National Investigation Agency to go slow on cases of Hindu terrorism.

A: Through Swaraj Abhiyan we have issued a detailed statement on this. It's absolutely clear from what Salian said that an attempt was made or being made by the Central government through NIA to go soft on the accused. That is very unfortunate. This association (of the accused) with the Sangh Parivar sends out a very communal message. The message is that one kind of communalism is OK and the other is not. It is a very dangerous thing. Saffronisation of large number of educational institutions like ICHR, IIT is happening. These people whom they are appointing are unscientific.

Q: Would you like to throw some light on the Amit Shah discharge case?

A: Systematically, Amit Shah was discharged from the cases against him, and it is ridiculous that no appeal has been filed. All those police officers who were accused in those cases have been given bail and reinstated. This shows that the government is trying to influence the judiciary. It sends out a very bad message that you have reinstated those accused merely because they have got bail.

Q: What about your association with Anna Hazare? Do you think he was also used by AAP?

A: In a way he was used by AAP but India Against Corruption was a collaborative effort. There were common goals. He did not want to enter into politics and hence disassociated himself. I, too, disagreed with his stand and need to form a political party. But I was for a transparent and democratic party. Anna felt that politics is like a cesspool.

Q: Your plans for Swaraj Abhiyan and its growth in Maharashtra?

A: Swaraj Abhiyan will not become a political party. Or even if it fans out to become a political party, a non-political party will exist to run it in a transparent manner. Swaraj Abhiyan is a work in progress right now.

Q: What is your take on Lalitgate?

A: In the case of Sushma Swaraj, her husband and daughter should have asked him to come to India and face investigation. In the case of Vasundhara Raje, the situation is much worse. Around Rs11 crore from Lalit Modi by way of gifts is improper. It needs to be investigated if it was a bribe or laundered money.