• 3 years ago
“My problem with this government is…” In this exclusive interview, NCP MP Supriya Sule told Brut what politics means to her, and why she believes fellow NCP leader Nawab Malik’s arrest by ED was not justified. Watch. 👀

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00:00I'm going to delve right into it. So, I-C-E. So, Income Tax, CBI, and ED. So, everybody is getting iced in this country right now.
00:17Hi, Namaste. I'm Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament, Baramati, Maharashtra, NCP, from Root India.
00:25You just said a few days ago, you said, I wonder what delight does the Prime Minister get in criticising Maharashtra repeatedly,
00:33shifting key projects out of the state, and undermining the importance of Mumbai. It is unfortunate.
00:39What did you mean by this? What were the projects that you were talking about?
00:44The Prime Minister is my Prime Minister as well. Of course, when you fight an election, we have strong ideological differences.
00:52And I think we must respect that in a democracy, we must encourage ideological difference.
00:57But what I always feel is that it's like a project of a financial model, which they've had in running, which hasn't done really well.
01:05And Maharashtra wanted it, then the BJP said that we didn't ask for a Gujarat Act for a Swastika.
01:11Rightly so, they got it. But I have no problems with that, because if we didn't get our act together, this was many, many years ago,
01:18and they got it first, wonderful. But if it's not doing well, is there a way we can work together?
01:23Because it's eventually in the larger interest of the nation.
01:26Then there are other projects which were supposed to come to Maharashtra, are options.
01:32See, I don't mind a competitive environment at all. I think let the best team win.
01:36But at the same time, when some decisions in the past are made over here, when the power centres are moved, which is unfair for anybody.
01:45I mean, I don't think administration for anybody is a permanent phenomenon. I don't think that way.
01:50There is no model like that, except a dictator, who also gets over it.
01:55Do you think that there is a centre versus Maharashtra narrative being built?
02:01You did say Maharashtra has never bowed before the authority of Delhi and will never do so.
02:06So do you think there's a narrative here which is being built or it's already there?
02:10No, no, it's not a narrative at all. It's a reality. And what's unfortunately is this is in the context of the ICE factor.
02:17Now you wonder what ICE is. So I-C-E. So income tax, CBI and ED.
02:25So everybody's getting iced in this country right now. It's not only my state, it's every state.
02:30And this friend of mine one day said, so who's getting iced? And I'm like, really? What's iced?
02:35And then he explained it to me and I said, boom, this is right. And I've said it in parliament.
02:39And trust me, most people know what ICE is now, because, you know, if I've done something wrong, you must hang me.
02:47And why only in some small corner of this world? Hang me in Hukat Mathang or Marine Raig, where the whole world says that she's done something wrong and she deserves to be hanged.
02:56But if you want to hang me and I've done something wrong, the democratic system makes you and allows you a fair trial.
03:04Anybody in this world deserves a fair trial. Look at Nawab Malik Ji's case 45. I have absolutely no problem.
03:11You think he is bad? Sure. Go for it. But the processes have to be formed.
03:17So when you arrested him, on what grounds have you arrested him?
03:21My point is you could have called him once, twice, thrice to the police station, to CBI, to anywhere in ICE and asked him a few questions.
03:29If he didn't cooperate, you must arrest him. In this government, it's very easy, in the central government.
03:35If you're on their side, there is no ICE for you. And if you're in the opposition, even if you haven't done anything, they'll ICE you.
03:41But if, you know, if these agencies, these early central big agencies, you know, early, early important investigative work is carried out by these agencies, don't you think these are being politicized?
03:54You know, there was a time I used to really get pained by these allegations. Now I get amused by allegations.
03:59This is not what he joined politics for, destroy each other. I felt that if we are in a position to influence good legislation, to serve people better, to make their lives better.
04:11That was the whole idea where I joined politics. And now I see all these agencies used. I'll give you a small example of the agency.
04:18When Nawab bhai was arrested, they said 55 lakh rupees were paid to somebody. And now they said, sorry, it's a technical error. It was 5 lakh rupees.
04:28I mean, how come such a big amount will arrest a human being? I'm not even getting into the merits that he's an honorable minister.
04:35He's being, listen, ministers are also people who serve. And there's no difference between you. We're all human beings at the end of the day.
04:42Just because you're a minister, I'm not expecting any special things that you must go because he's a minister.
04:47But there are protocols followed in everything. And you arrest a human being. Then you say it's not 5 lakhs. It's 55 lakhs becomes 5 lakhs.
04:55What is the agency doing? How can you make such a typo error?
04:58You say it's not a personal fight and it's gotten personal.
05:02Yesterday, we did see the Mumbai police arrest, you know, Devendra Fundamus as well, who, you know, BJP was protesting the issue of, you know, the ED also looking into Nawab Malik, etc.
05:18Don't you think the fight is on either side?
05:21Not at all. They've arrested me so many times when we were in the office room. What's wrong with that? That's a political move.
05:27And arrested for what? He was out. He's going to go on the 5 o'clock flight. These are political things. These are not personal.
05:34I've never said something personal to him and said, he's a terrorist. He talks like that. Responsible.
05:41I would not call anybody a terrorist unless I knew he was a terrorist. Just because he's my political opponent, it doesn't make him my thing.
05:48I mean, come on, life is not so shallow. It's far more deeper.
05:53I'm going to ask you, you know, talking on personal questions. In 2006, in a television interview, you had said, I don't see myself as my father's political heir.
06:04You said, only time will tell. Blood is not the only thing that makes political heirs. Everyone says my father is Yashwantrao Chauhan's political heir.
06:12Let's see if I'm capable enough to inherit my father's legacy. Would you say you are your father's political heir today?
06:19Not at all. Why would it change from 2006 to 2005?
06:23I still stand. I don't. I stand by what I say. Public life is not an inheritance. Not at all. How can it be? You have to earn it from the people.
06:34People will decide. You can't decide. I fight for Lok Sabha. My father, my brother don't decide whether I get elected.
06:41My voters decide. Voter is like customer escape. Public life doesn't come by inheritance.
06:48But you have contested and you know, three times MP, of course, and won it from Baramati, which was your father's seat as well.
06:56Largely, we are seeing your face emerge as the face of MCP. Wouldn't you say that you are?
07:02Maybe you're just being very kind to me. That doesn't mean anything. And I feel what is wrong with being vocal? And what is wrong with being the truth?
07:10I only speak the truth. I think before I talk. I'm never impulsive. I'm not trying to grab headlines. Not at all.