INTERVIEW
"I'm
more powerful outside Government" Number 2 Akbar Road did not
resemble the residence of a man who had just lost his job
in the Union Cabinet. There were no milling crowds, no
droves of supporters chanting, "Tum Sangarsh karo,
hum tumhaare saath hai." Just a couple of personal
aides were present in the house when the former law
minister spoke to Editor Prabhu Chawla
and Associate Editor Ashok
Damodaran.
Excerpts:
 Q. Does your resignation
signal the end of your fight? Or is it the beginning of
another one?
A. I am not fighting anybody. It is a question
of principles. This is not a private matter. I owe it to
the people of this country to tell them what happened. My
greatest asset is my freedom of speech. As a cabinet
minister, it was severely restricted. Outside the
Government, I will be even more powerful.
Q. But you have
been accused of leaking confidential information.
A. No confidential documents have been leaked
out. People don't know what a confidential document means.
It is not something that a bureaucrat wants kept
confidential. That way you can keep evidence about
corruption in a confidential file and say it cannot be
disclosed.
Q. There is an
impression that Vajpayee never got along well with you,
that you were in the Cabinet because of Home Minister L.K.
Advani.
A. That impression needs to be investigated. As
far as I know, I was invited by Vajpayee to join his team.
Q. But the prime
minister never called you either before or after your
resignation.
A. I suppose he has been very busy.
Q. You hinted at
a conspiracy to get you out of the Cabinet.
A. All I know is that there were some people who
didn't want me in the Cabinet.
SOLI'S DEFENCE
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| » On the Hinduja Connection:
Sorabjee argues he got the Government's nod from
the then law minister Kumaramangalam for giving
his opinion on a power project. Says it has
nothing to do with Bofors. » On billing the Government:
Says law officers are entitled to charge fees for
court appearance. He represented the Telecom
Department and TRAI and was paid Rs 4.7 lakh.
Bill was cleared by Jethmalani.
» On favours to Jayalalitha:
Denies his advice was sought on shifting the
cases against the AIADMK chief to a more lenient
court.
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Q. Why?
A. Take for example the attorney- general. He
had gotten used to having a great say in the Law Ministry.
You see, my predecessor Thambidurai was a very innocent
man. When he was there, the attorney-general used to
issue orders to the law secretary to appoint so and so
and issue this or that notification. I put an end to that.
Q. Are you
saying that the attorney-general was running the Law
Ministry?
A. Absolutely. Distribution of work, of cases,
everything he was doing. Even after I came in, he wrote a
letter to the law secretary asking, 'How is your ministry
being run like Alice in Wonderland?'. And that very day
the letter is leaked to the press. And in that letter he
wrote about 11 government appeals that were dismissed
because the counsels delayed their responses.
Q. So why did he
do it after you took over?
A. It was obvious. Without having the kind of
power he once wielded, he was feeling uncomfortable.
Q. Now you've
quit. Does not it amount to surrender?
A. Well, there are others. My successor (Arun
Jaitley) is a bright young man. He will take care of them.
Q. Do you feel
victimised or see yourself as a martyr?
A. Neither. I am happy that the prime minister
has respect for my integrity. But I have a sense of
sadness. I would have been able to accomplish quite a lot
as a minister. I have the vanity to think that my
resignation is a loss to the Government and the nation.
Q. You think you
have been let down by the prime minister?
A. To some extent, the prime minister was a
disappointment. In the past two years, I hardly had an
hour with him to discuss important issues. The last time
I met him was on July 14 to discuss problems of my
ministry. Instead we ended up talking about the Shiv Sena.
Q. Sorabjee says
you are a victim of your impetuousness.
A. I speak the truth. Those who habitually
compromise on truth may find it intemperate behaviour or
impetuousness.
Q. Any regrets?
Are you angry with Vajpayee?
A. None at all. I know he is wearing a crown of
thorns. I don't want to add one more thorn on his crown.
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