He commented that there were political profit-seekers who wanted to "convert Hindus into Hinduism" and also asked: "Who was a greater Hindu than Gandhiji?" He felt that the secular forces would, in the long run, find ways of coming together and would release new political initiatives. Known for the traumatic social change which he sought to bring about with the implementation of the Mandal Commission Report and the daring coalition experiment in the formation of the National Front, which celebrated its silver jubilee this year, he did not exhibit any loud-shrieking anger and fire-spitting frustration of the prototype politicians.

Despite his physical constraints and discomfort, to a very personal question about himself, he answered with a wide smile, "I am happy." There was no tension as he talked about political titans from Sonia Gandhi to the ruling political giants. He saw them all with his cold, rational and sometimes smilingly cynical gaze.

Referring to the Hindu card played by some of the political parties in the country, V. P. Singh said: "This is only a political version. Who was a greater Ram bhakt than Gandhiji, Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramhans? They were the real Hindus. They raised the prestige of the country the world over. They raised the prestige of Hinduism. The other people are not Hindus. This version they are giving is only a political version. It is not Hinduism. They are not Hindus." He was reminded of his crusade for the socially and economically deprived sections of society during his days as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and later as the coalition Prime Minister of India.

He recounted some of his decisions and experiences. He said: "I had passed orders that all the quotas for petrol pumps, gas agencies and all, which had been taken by the moneyed people and the chamchas, should be given to youth from the universities on the basis of merit so that caste and community don’t come in the way. And they would have some satisfaction and one could earn as much as an IAS officer. I made it clear that this entire quota should be given on merit and not on discretion. All applicants, therefore, came from the universities. If I had just one more month in office, I would have implemented the programme in totality and much of the anger of the youth would have gone."

Sunil Dang asked why was it that the tenures of coalition Prime Ministers like V. P. Singh himself, Chandra Shekhar, I. K. Gujral and Deve Gowda, were all very very short? He said: "Because we were like learning to cycle. The duration of such cycling is very short. One falls. But over a period of time you can cycle for a longer time. That is what happened to the country."

First there was an attitude of confrontational politics, not coalition. No one was mentally prepared for coalitions. Any amount of reform you talk about, the people indulged in the same brinkmanship and the government would fall. When the country had to repeatedly go for elections then wisdom dawns." In a casual reference whether he had recently met Sonia Gandhi, among other political leaders, while discussing the affairs of the nation, he said crisply: "Not recently. I had met her during the Uttar Pradesh elections. I am not involved in the Think Tank for her. In Gujarat, I went on my own and without interacting with the Congress, asked for support for the Congress because I thought it was the Congress which was in a position to take on the BJP-VHP conglomerate. I went to Gujarat, held a press conference and gave my opinion. There are many things I do on my own. I do not consult. In U. P. I felt I should resign so I resigned. I did not consult."