Shivraj Patil, who was forced to quit as home minister in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, says he is ready to debate on the internal security scenario.
Congress leader Shivraj Patil, who was forced to quit as home minister in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, says he is ready to debate on the internal security scenario in the country with "anybody who understands the issue".
"Internal security should be discussed and debated...we would debate it with anybody who understands it," Patil, who is penning his memoirs, said in an interview, first since he stepped down as the home minister in November, 2008.
"We would like to say that on behalf of the Congress party, the questions raised would be responded. Facts and figures would be given. What happened in UPA period and NDA period would be explained," Patil, who was at helm of affairs at the Home Ministry for more than four years, said.
On whether it meant throwing a gauntlet as BJP leader LK Advani attempted on prime minister Manmohan Singh, Patil said
he would slug it out with anybody who wants to debate on it and "who understands the relevant issues."
Patil came under severe criticism from opposition parties and even from his party colleagues over his handling of the internal security.
The senior Congress leader said he would belt out internal security figures and measures taken during his regime when he campaigns for the party candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
"We expect to get many things. We demand many things, but all things don't happen in short time," Patil said without elaborating further.
Patil said he would do any duty that is given to him if the Congress-led UPA comes back to power at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.
"The Home Ministry people and the police and paramilitary forces were very cooperative and affectionate to me. The understanding type of people were also nice to me. But, who handles what is decided by the leader and the prime minister," he said.
The former home minister said he has "no constituency" to fight elections and hence he has decided to help all his friends in the poll campaign and added that "there were many things which were proposed to be done" when he stepped down from his post.
On the current run of the MHA under P Chidambaram, Patil said, "The Home Ministry is trying to do its best as it used to do in the past."
Patil also lashed out at Raj Thackeray style of politics and said, "Narrow mindedness, short sightedness, parochialism are not appreciated and liked by the majority of the people in Maharashtra and India as a whole."
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