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Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) A day after being nominated from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, prominent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam said that he accepted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offer after being quite impressed with Narendra Modi government's ruthless approach and policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.
Having handled several high-profile cases, including that of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as a Special Public Prosecutor, Nikam believes that PM Modi has kept the national interest at the forefront over the last 10 years.
"The government took a firm stand that terror and talks (with Pakistan) will not happen at the same time. The success achieved by PM Modi-led government in defeating the anti-national elements, including in the Kashmir Valley by empowering the army, is unique," said Nikam on Sunday.
"In the last 10 years, incidents of terror attacks and bomb blasts have been largely kept under check. However, if you recall the phase before that, Pakistan had created a sense of fear in the minds of Indians by carrying out terrorist attacks in the country, including Mumbai. The number of sleeper cells in the country was also increasing. The political system used to kneel before the separatists instead of taking a firm stand against Pakistan," Nikam, the man behind the execution of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, added.
The prominent lawyer praised the current government for reacting strongly after the Pulwama and Uri terror attacks.
"PM Modi-led government targeted Pakistan by conducting surgical strikes and air strikes. National security and economic development are the two sides of the same coin. Today, India's economic growth is being hailed all over the world while Pakistan has become a beggar," he said.
The BJP on Saturday sprang a surprise by dropping sitting MP Poonam Mahajan and nominating Nikam from the parliamentary constituency.
Though a greenhorn in politics by his own admission, Nikam, widely known in legal circles for his eloquence, said he is all prepared for the new innings, notwithstanding the "outsider" banter.
Nikam thanked PM Modi and the top BJP leadership, saying that he wants to contribute to the journey of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India).
He also credited PM Modi-led government for "tremendous improvement" in India's relations with the Islamic countries.
"All eight ex-Navy officers from India sentenced by Qatar were released safely due to India's proactive diplomacy. By abrogating Article 370, this government sped up the development of Kashmir. Be it the cries of Khalistan emerging in Punjab, the challenge posed by China on border areas or the befitting reply given to Pakistan, today the country is living a happy and peaceful life under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Nikam said.
The BJP nominee for Mumbai North Central LS seat mentioned that the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case was the turning point in his career as a lawyer.
"After that case, be it the 2006 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai or the horrific terror attack of 26/11, I have fought various cases and used all judicial tools. I have made sincere efforts to ensure that the culprits involved in these cases get the strictest punishment. I am justifiably proud that we succeeded in punishing a terrorist like Ajmal Kasab, who came with the intention of attacking India's sovereignty," Nikam said.
"While fighting these cases, I clearly felt the shortcomings and weaknesses of the then political system," he said.
He acknowledged that the announcement of his nomination may have raised many eyebrows.
"Basically, politics is not my domain. I have spent all my career in the legal profession. Still, I was often asked about joining politics. During the last election, I was strongly urged to be a candidate by the senior leaders of the state but I politely refused. No doubt they will be the first ones to be shocked by my decision now," he said.
On the opposition criticising him as an "outsider" - as he was born in Jalgaon but is now contesting from a Mumbai LS seat -- Nikam said though Jalgaon is his birthplace, Mumbai is his place of work.
" ... the victims of the terror attack cases for whom I fought were from Mumbai. A person who resolves to work for the national interest is never restricted by geographical boundaries. Hence, to be criticised as an 'outsider' means that the rival candidates have already taken a beating over my candidature," Nikam said.
He also rebutted attempts to project his image as anti-Muslims saying that in his career of 40-50 years as a lawyer, he never thought about caste or religion.
"For me, the Constitution, law and nation remain the supreme. All are equal before the law... this is the most important principle of law, and I have been working as a true follower of this principle," he said.
(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
--IANS
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