First Published at Bhadas4Media.com
Well known anti-corruption crusader and Sr. Indian journalist Vineet Narain attacking Dr. Subramanian Swamy in Aug 2018.
Q: You have waged a war on Dr. Subramanian Swamy, in times when people fear him, that he may drag them to Supreme Court for some allegation or the other and then many agencies will be after you. You are openly attacking him. I think you should fear Dr. Swamy.
A: One fears for the loss of life, prestige or wealth. I believe in Goswami Tulsidas ji’s wisdom, when he says that these three are in the control of almighty. If God is protecting you then none can harm you. When I was fighting the Jain Hawala Case from 1993-2000, then my fight was against 115 most powerful people of India, i.e. Union Cabinet Ministers, Leaders of opposition, Chief Ministers, Governors and Sr. Bureaucrats. During that time, often I was asked, how can you fight against so many powerful people, when you do not have the backing of a Media house, Corporate giant, Political party, also you do not have money power or man power. My answer was that Lord Krishna told Arjuna” You just be my instrument and don’t worry I will be fighting through you.”
I don’t have a personal agenda against anybody. All my crusades are for public causes.
In fact I never had good opinion about Dr. Subramanian Swamy. Way back in 1987, I spent one month with controversial Godman Chandraswami, who was known to be an International wheeler dealer and a front for arms dealers. I exposed him and after that he ended up in India’s top jail. Surprisingly, Chandraswami was a very close associate of Dr. Subramanian Swamy, why, what was common between them? Similarly Dr. Swamy, from 2003 to 2010, nominated the liquor baron, now defaulter of huge public money, absconder Vijay Mallya as the Working President of his Janta Party.
Q: Why, because, he was a millionaire?
A: Well only Dr. Swamy can explain that. But my question is to the large fan following of him to whom he claims to be the custodian of Hinduism. Some RSS leaders also give him too much importance. How can a liquor baron, who’s lifestyle can be seen in calendars he used to get printed, who ran away from this country by looting the banks with tons of money of poor people, why was he chosen by Dr. Swamy? Couldn’t he find a better person to be appointed as Working President of his Janta Party? What was he expecting, that Vijay Mallya will ensure protection of Hindu religion or he will spread patriotism in India? Today several of Dr. Swamy’s followers are calling me from all over the world. I am getting calls from America, Europe, Dubai, Kerala, Kashmir etc. that I have opened their eyes. I tell them that you guys are living in illusionary world because Dr. Swamy has created a false image of his.
In the case of Jet Airways Swamy made a lot of noise in the Parliament and filed a PIL in the Supreme Court. You please find out from the court, what is the status of that petition now? All the media persons and fans of Swamy, who are watching this interview, should do a simple test, please go and see the original petition of Dr. Swamy against a major scam of Jet Airways and see it’s current status. You will be shocked to know that it has been diluted by none other than Dr. Swamy. He himself, on different dates, withdrew his petition, in the name of amendment and constantly gave an escape route to the owner of Jet Airways Naresh Goyal. It’s a million dollar question whether this deal was done for ₹50 crores or ₹100 crores, because without money why will someone dilute his attack on an accused. Nobody withdraws or dilutes a PIL for no reason. I know there are people who have made a profession of filing PILs for handsome considerations. We also do Public Interest Cases, but we never withdraw them. We always take them to the logical conclusions. Interestingly many people think that Vineet Narain does lot of PILs. In fact India Today once wrote that I am at the pinnacle of PIL lobby. You will be surprised to know that I have not done more than 4 or 5 PILs during the past 30 years.
Q: Only 4 or 5 ?
A: Yes I did only 4 or 5 PILs and took them to their logical conclusions. But Dr. Swamy has raised dozens of corruption issues but never took them till logical end. I have demanded Govt. of India to set up a SIT to investigate into Dr. Swamy’s PIL business. How many issues he raised and how many of them have reached to the logical conclusions. I won’t be surprised if there is a gang of Dr. Swamy, whereby some bureaucrat sends notices to the accused businessman, the second person threatens him, Dr. Swamy builds up pressure by making noise in public & media through his PILs and the fourth person goes to strike a deal of compromise with the accused. Dr. Swami should be investigated. Why did he repeatedly withdrew his Jet PIL? I also fought the famous Hawala Case. I were constantly threatened, I was given bribe offers of huge money or to accept a seat in Parliament and a birth in Union Cabinet But these things could not shake my conviction. I am not taking any credit for this because it’s all due to the grace of Lord Krishna that I could face all this with dignity. But if someone is voluntary diluting his petitions, what could be the motive behind that, anyone can guess? So this should be investigated.
Dr. Swamy is an expert in telling lies. Last month, in a 8 page complaint against me, sent to the UP Chief Minister Mr. Yogi, he made several false allegations against me and my NGO The Braj Foundation. He says that in the name of restoration of Lord Krishna’s heritage in Mathura/Vrindavan, I have grabbed huge amount of public land. I threw a challenge to him to prove it and I instantly replied to every allegation, with facts and figures.
Q: Yes you replied to all his allegations on social media?
A: In just 24hours, I not only replied to his allegations, I even demanded CBI inquiry against me. Incidentally except my ancestral home in Vrindavan, I don’t have even an inch of land, neither in Braj nor anywhere else in the country. Dr. Swami also blames that I am destroying ASI protected monuments. Can he name one such Heritage building which is ASI protected and The Braj Foundation has restored/destroyed it? Similarly every allegation is a bundle of lie. I gave answers, with documentary evidence, within 24 hours.
On the contrary during the past two months I’ve been making several allegations against Dr. Swamy on Twitter and through press releases but he has not shown the moral courage to answer any one of them.
Q: This is a very serious matter. Whatever allegations Swami made against you, you immediately replied in 24 hour and voluntarily demanded CBI investigation against you, but he is not answering to your allegations.
A: For all the allegations he made against me, we have even prepared a complete dozier, where in one column is the list of allegations and in the other are the answers to those allegations and in third is the list of supporting documents to establish that our answers are based on facts. If UP Chief Minister initiates any enquiry we are ready with answers of each of his fake allegation.
Q: In your recent syndicated column, you have completely exposed Swamy. Should we presume that in coming days there will be a major fight between you both on social media.
A: Look those who know me know about my integrity and passion for crusades. Your generation may not know because you are at least 20 years younger to me. But ones of my generation, be it politicians, bureaucrats or journalists, they all know that I am a man with lot of passion. I normally don’t take up any matter, but if I do take it up, I don’t leave it till I take it to the logical conclusion.
Q: Yes that’s what I have heard and that is why I came to take your interview. It is our good fortune that a journalist of your kind of accomplishments, with a very bright career, is there to share his experiences with the younger generation of journalists.
A: So Dr. Subramanian Swamy, by attacking me has disturbed the hornets’ nest.
Q: Ohh !
A: Now Dr. Swamy better be careful because my attack on him is not going to stop. Several people are coming to me and giving lot of information about him. Because now they are feeling fearless. They know that Vineet Narain is adamant to expose him. Lots of material is coming to me. But my principle is that unless I personally investigate the matter and have sufficient evidence to substantiate these allegations, I will not expose. But once I have such material, I will surely bring it before the nation and then you all will decide who is a real wheeler-dealer, Swamy or Narain?
Q: This is surprising that you have been named wheeler -dealer by Dr. Swamy, please explain why he has done that ?
A: He wants to discredit me because one of my colleague has exposed his close associate. So to demoralise us he wants to brand me as a wheeler-dealer. But there is a German saying, When you point one finger towards someone, there are three fingers pointing back towards you, asking whatever you are accusing in your rival, does that not exist in your surroundings, in your family or in you, ? If the answer is “No” then only you have the moral right to attack others.
In my case when his ‘same’ close associate recently started spreading rumors, that I have done huge embezzlement of CSR funds in The Braj Foundation, I instantly replied.
Q: Well there is a small section in political circles, which is spreading rumors against you and your work in Braj area. But now this is the right opportunity that everything will come out crystal clear.
A: So the moment I heard this allegation that I have done embezzlement of thousands of crores I immediately collected all the balance sheets of last 13 years of Braj Foundation and the entire details of income and expenditure (which is only ₹20 crores), within one hour and went to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and I requested him to order an inquiry by any agency against any alleged financial irregularity done by us. Has any NGO in the history of India ever volunteered and taken all its accounts to the Auditor General demanding public scrutiny?
So what you are talking about that small section of people, who are spreading such rumors or raising doubts about our work in Braj, are people planted by such vested interests or people on the payroll of corrupt local politicians, who have been roughed up by our honest and transparent public works. My request and open invitation to all of you , who are watching this video, please come to Mathura and look at the work which we have done in 15 years, without any financial support from government. You will be pleasantly surprised to see that how heaps of garbage have been converted into world class pilgrimage destinations with such low cost.
Actually I was forced to switch over from journalism to Heritage Conservation because I got tired of fighting corruption for two decades. From 1998 to 2002 I exposed three sitting Chief Justice of India. Not the one who had retired but of those who were still in chair. I had to remain underground for 18 months because of Contempt of Court case was slapped on me, my office was sealed, I had to leave the country and mobilize international media support. But I didn’t succumb to such pressures or harassment. I did not apologize either. In fact I wrote a book on the ‘Misuse of Contempt of Court Act’. This probably is the first ever book on the 6 Lands Scams of a sitting Chief Justice of India and how I fought this battle. Anybody can read it online on my web vineetnarain.net Just think if one has the moral courage to expose a sitting Chief Justice of India, will he ever leave a dark spot on him ?
Q: Yes if that was such a past of yours then the system would have ruined you by now.
A: I have thanked Dr. Swamy on Twitter because for the past 15 years I was slogging in Braj to restore the heritage of Lord Krishna. When people were enjoying summer vacations in cold countries, I was bearing summer heat to monitor such works in villages or forests. We never invited media to glorify our work and we did not publicized our work. But due to Dr. Swamy’s false attack, now the whole world is looking at our website brajfoundation.org to see what we have done in Braj.
It’s quite clear that Dr. Swamy has awakened a sleeping Lion i.e. Vineet Narain, who was quiet for a decade or so and is now roaring again. Thanks. We will continue this interview in next episode.
