‘There’s a misconception everybody’s citizenship will go away’

DUSHYANT CHAUTALA, deputy chief minister, Haryana

Dushyant Chautala, 31, became Haryana’s deputy chief minister in October last year when his Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the latter fell short of a simple majority in Haryana. He spoke to Sunetra Choudhury about issues like the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act that has triggered protests across the country. Edited excepts:

Where is your stand on the CAA? Many, including those in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, like Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal, have said Muslims should not be left out...

Leaving out somebody is one thing, but giving citizenship to somebody is another thing. There is a misconception that everybody’s citizenship will go away. Somebody who is a citizen of our nation will not be debarred from citizenship. That was introduced and I was going through parliamentary records and the first meeting on this act was done under the leadership of the then minister Pranab Mukherjee with all these senior advocates of Congress like P Chidambaram... Was not this act started by them?

The Congress was talking about refugees but now the act has a clause about various religions and excludes Muslims. That is why the Akalis have said this.

... If a country is based on religion, only then will they take on minorities. If I talk about UAE, can an Indian go there and get citizenship? We can’t. Parliament passed this law and you have to ask MPS during the debate, what things were challenged? What amendments were put in? And if a law is passed today, there can be amendments later also... But making it an issue where violence has occurred, I think it’s not the right way to raise your voice.

So you are...open to changes?

If Prakash Singh Badalji has suggested something, he is a veteran leader. He became a CM in his 30s and today he is 90. I think his viewpoint should be considered. What I have learnt in Parliament, government is always flexible to make changes... During the period of GST coming in, people said GST will destroy everything ... But changes came. I think Mr Jaitley did it very well... Things change when people react to them. But I think you have to mould it with the time and flexibility so that it shouldn’t be a threat to your Constitution.

And NRC? Will Haryana be implementing it in the state?

I think it will be a decision of the government. Let it come to cabinet, we will discuss and make a policy decision. It is just regularising people...

Can you now reveal to us the background of what happened during Haryana government formation? Who called who and made the first move?

Everybody was trying to get in touch and Amit Shah ji called, we spoke and we made a decision within the party that, yes, we have to get a stable government. And Congress, having only 31 MLAS, couldn’t give a stable government...

Has the fact that you don’t have your common minimum programme out show that you are facing challenges?

We have taken multiple steps on the CMP and there are things that sometimes we need to discuss and CM and I sit together... to discuss issues.

Which is the most debatable issue?

I can’t quote that in an interview but there are things. There are problems of division of land we are facing in Haryana and cases that are pending for years...

But has keeping your flock together been a problem? One of your MLAS went public with his grievance.

People have grievances... If my colleague expresses, we will try to figure out a way to get those things resolved.

What about the differences between the home minister( Anil Vij) and the CM (Khattar) ?

I don’t think there should be a talk in public every day on department allocation. CID is part of the home ministry but when Chaudhary Devi Lal [his great grand father] was the CM, he gave the home department to someone else and kept the CID with him...

However, you went into polls criticising the BJP. So is it a bit embarrassing sitting with Khattar after a bitter campaign?

Campaign is a part of your movement... Sitting with Manoharji is a learning experience. His experience of five years in the government helps. I think there are some things that as a young person, I can put in such as in the last cabinet meeting, we decided that Hindi has to be a part of all the subordinate judiciary orders. It was never done. We got it done ...