I take no responsibility for what Pratibha does: Bardhan

RIGHT TO CLAIM: Bardhan says Pratibha is a simple woman who has not been charged of any crime.

      

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Keywords: Webcast, A B Bardhan

Karan Thapar: But you are not promoting most of them to be Presidents. You are promoting her.

A B Bardhan: I am not called upon to follow all that.

Karan Thapar: Do you think Pratibha Patil has the rational, forward looking liberal temperament that a President needs?

A B Bardhan: Where have we laid down the condition that she should be a rationalist?

Karan Thapar: So you could have an orthodox, reactionary, backward looking person?

A B Bardhan: No in matters of political policy it is another thing.

Karan Thapar: What about matter of pronouncements in the public? If she starts making speeches about speaking to men who are dead 40 years ago, would you be happy if your President did that?

A B Bardhan: I’m quite sure it will not be done.

Karan Thapar: How do you know? She did it right now.

A B Bardhan: I’m quite sure when she becomes the President, she will not do it.

Karan Thapar: How do you know that?

A B Bardhan: As a President she will have to follow the policies laid down by the Government. We have a Parliamentary democracy here not a Presidential election.

Karan Thapar: They say Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion. Doesn’t that apply to the President in India?

A B Bardhan: President of India is a Constitutional head.

Karan Thapar: So it can be suspected?

A B Bardhan: A Constitutional head is not called upon to lay policy.

Karan Thapar: The Constitutional head is the symbol of the country. Should the symbol of the country be under suspicion?

A B Bardhan: The Constitutional head is the symbol of the country whose policies will be laid down by the government.

Karan Thapar: The one thing that the Communist Party has is moral authority. No longer do you have political influence. Why are you squandering your moral authority supporting a woman who is not fit for the top turf? Why are don’t you admit you made a mistake nominating her?

A B Bardhan: Our moral authority is demonstrated in the fact that we insisted that no communal person or belonging to a communal party, to the RSS and the BJP should be nominated.

Karan Thapar: So you can have a potentially corrupt person, instead you can have a woman who stands for forcible sterilisation, or have an orthodox woman who believes in spirits.

A B Bardhan: She has more than 40 years of political career.

Karan Thapar: Alright Mr Bardhan, you can have the last word. A pleasure talking to you.