Twenty-eight-year-old Tejasvi Surya, Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate for Bengaluru South, stirred up a hornet’s nest even before he could hit the campaign trail by getting a temporary injunction order against 49 publications, television channels and other media outlets barring them from publishing anything “defamatory”. He spoke to The Hindu about what propelled him to make such a move, seen as an attempt to gag free press, at the start of his fledgeling political career and other issues. Excerpts:
Why the drastic step of seeking a blanket injunction?
I don’t think it is a drastic measure. The Constitution of India permits balancing of two important rights — freedom of expression as well as right to reputation and dignity of an individual. All I have done is taken Constitutional recourse to put an end to a very sinisterly designed slanderous campaign against me.
You had spoken against political reservation for women in your tweet in 2014. What is your stand now?
I’m for greater participation of women in all walks of life, more so in politics. The five-year-old tweet was made in a different context. I have encouraged many women to join ABVP and BJP youth wing.
In one of your more recent tweets after the Jayanagar elections, you said BJP must ‘really’ become a Hindu party and not just be perceived as one. Do you stand by that statement?
My tweets were made to raise a specific issue — when the Congress asks Muslims to vote for it en masse, it is called coming together of secular votes. But if BJP asks Hindus to vote for it, it is called communalisation of elections. Why? My tweet was only academic in nature. But I firmly believe that anybody who is an aspirant for a Constitutional post must take everyone along, irrespective of which god they pray to and what language they speak.
You had said that people who are not voting for Narendra Modi are anti-India. Isn’t this against the fundamentals of democracy?
If your hatred for the Prime Minister takes the shape of hatred for the motherland, then it raises concern. You are free to criticise the Prime Minister in whatever way so long as you do not compromise on the interests of India.
You have received summons from the Karnataka State Commission for Women for alleged harassment of a woman.
It is a peculiar case where there is no victim but the Congress has made a complaint. My legal team will respond to it appropriately.
Your dream was to become a surgeon as a schoolboy. You have chosen a different path now.
I realised that I’m bad in maths and was left with very limited career options. So I thought of becoming a lawyer and then becoming a neta was an easier option.. But the path I have chosen involves a lot of hard work.