The Hindu : National : ‘Gandhigiri’ will be my agenda: Sanjay Dutt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

‘Gandhigiri’ will be my agenda: Sanjay Dutt

Atiq Khan

Photo: Subir Roy

Show begins: Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow Sanjay Dutt, wife Manyata and leaders of the party during a roadshow in Lucknow on Saturday. —

LUCKNOW: Ending speculation about his entry into politics, film actor Sanjay Dutt was on Saturday presented to the people of Lucknow by the Samajwadi Party as its candidate for this year’s Lok Sabha elections.

The actor responded saying that ‘Gandhigiri’ would be his election agenda and he would endeavour to carry forward the political legacy of his late father, Sunil Dutt.

However, whether Mr. Dutt would be able to contest the election from the VIP constituency still remained a million-dollar question, particularly if the sitting MP and former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, were to give one more shot at the hustings.

Mr. Dutt told a news conference at the SP headquarters here that if Mr. Vajpayee, who was like a father figure, were to contest he had been asked by SP chief Mulayam Singh and general secretary Amar Singh to withdraw as he was younger to the veteran politician.

Mr. Amar Singh intervened by saying that on Friday Shatrughan Sinha, who had been offered BJP ticket from Lucknow, met him in Mumbai and told him that Mr. Sinha would not contest against his “younger brother” Dutt. Mr. Amar Singh added that Mr. Vajpayee was not likely to contest.

Mr. Dutt recalled the trauma he underwent during the last 17 years when a TADA case was slapped on him. He continued: “My father wanted to hear that his son is not a terrorist, but he passed away before the TADA court judgment came; I was left alone.”

The SP candidate let his disenchantment with the Congress be known (the elder Dutt and his wife Nargis Dutt remained loyal to the party and the Gandhi family till their death) when he appreciated the statement of All-India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh. The Congress leader reportedly said Mr. Dutt was not a terrorist. “For the first time, a Congress leader has said so. Had my father been alive he would have been happy,” Mr. Dutt added.

He said Mr. Amar Singh had always stood by him and the decision to contest the polls from Lucknow was taken at his behest. Mr. Amar Singh told him that he had done good work and he should serve the people and the country, the protagonist of ‘Munnabhai’ film series stated.

The candidature of Mr. Dutt from Lucknow, Bhojpuri star Manoj Tewari from Gorakhpur and Jayaprada from Rampur was announced by the SP president at the news conference. Stating that the people of Uttar Pradesh wanted to get rid of the Mayawati government, Mr. Mulayam Singh expressed optimism that the SP candidates would get the support of the electorate.

Describing the actor as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and the composite culture of Lucknow, Mr. Amar Singh condemned efforts to label Mr. Dutt as a terrorist. He said this was the handiwork of selfish interests, who should know that he had been exempted from the terrorist charge and was only facing charges under the Arms Act.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National