He said: "Despite the fact that Vajpayee’s government is a coalition of 24 parties, it is a very stable regime with a very high degree of credibility, acceptability and many achievements to its credit. Nobody had thought that a coalition of so many partners, all of whom did not see eye to eye on many issues, could last long. On the contrary, now everybody is looking towards Vajpayeeji and saying he alone can steer the country out of the problems of poverty, want and slow growth."

"Many people including some sections of the media are given to saying that the government instead of acting on its own looks towards the U. S. State Department for calling President Pervez Musharraf to rein in terrorists after every act of militancy in the country. Sometimes voices are raised, "attack Pakistan". It is easier said than done. War is never a solution; it is a problem with many ramifications. Atalji is a statesman. He has his own mind. Dialogue must be there. You cannot solve a problem by snapping all communication. Talk is the only option. It is with this understanding and wisdom, I would say, that our Prime Minister is displaying great statesmanship and is dealing with the problem as it should be done in the present situation. Of course, we are suffering from Pakistani terrorism. But we are also fighting and fighting very well. Nothing can be done more than has been accomplished by the government so far.

According to Sinha, the emergence of Vajpyee as the nation’s leader marked the end of ‘inspector raj’ in the country. "There is no queue for rations, kerosene, cement, LPG connection or telephones. You can get a telephone connection within a few hours. The government departments never worked as efficiently as they do now. The country has nuclear power, plans are being drawn up to extend the canal network, major projects like improving national highways, linking metropolitan cities with new roads are being implemented. India’s foreign exchange reserves have never been so high as now. You don’t have to worry about dollars if you are going abroad. Nor have you to lose patience over Customs checks at airports. Everything has been streamlined. Harassment of people at airports has become a thing of the past.

"I agree that all that has happened under the leadership of Vajpayeeji and Advaniji has not totally put paid to all that is besetting India. I would concede there has been no overnight miracle. But Ram Rajya cannot be created in a short span, howsoever strong your will and its strength of implementation may be. Nevertheless the level of progress reached now has never been attained before. Of course, people will always say that the government could do better. But this cannot detract from the fact that the government’s credibility, acceptability and performance is beyond expectations. Although many may not agree with me, Vajpayee’s achievements are great and significant under the circumstances.

Replying to a comment that the government has not done anything for Dalits, Sinha said he was not an expert in Dalit politics and economics and, therefore, could not say much on this question. "But I can tell you that the BJP today has the maximum number of Dalits in the party, in legislatures, in positions of importance. This many Dalits are not with the Congress Party, nor with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party or any other organisation. This fact speaks a lot for the BJP. No other party had done so much for them as the BJP. Regional politics is different from national politics. There are States where regional leaders have managed to take the Dalits up the garden path. For instance, Laloo Yadav commands their loyalty by the gift of the gab he has. At his election meetings, he tries to cheer them up by making upper castes the butt of his jokes. Mayawati has her own methods to command her following. But you cannot fool all the people all the time. Ultimately, what is going to matter is "Roti, Kapda aur Makan."

"When Atalji came to power, more than 40 per cent people in the country were below the poverty line; in Bihar the percentage was even higher. But in the period Atalji has been in power, the percentage of people below the poverty line has dropped to less than 30. This is no mean achievement. As I said, all the problems cannot be solved overnight. Atalji is a great statesman, taking the country in the right direction. The country is marching forward on the industrial front, economic front, in fact on all fronts. Gradually, Dalits would also make a quantum jump to prosperity and forget regional leaders who are today thriving on their support.

"The most outstanding achievement of this government", said Sinha," is credibility. In spite of stiff opposition, nobody can cast any doubt or aspersion on the integrity of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Advaniji today. Their image remains intact. This is a great achievement, for usually leaders in power manage to sully their reputations soon. The country trusts their leadership. It means they are taking the country in the right direction. There are many things happening now which never happened before. For the first time since the Sher Shah Suri days, who became famous for the construction of the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Peshawar, the road network is being expanded now under Vajpayee’s leadership. Of course, corruption still remains a problem. But I can tell you if the evil has not been tackled effectively so far, it has not been allowed to expand its tentacles in society either. But we are dealing with it now. . If the government is worried now, it is mainly about corruption and population. Health and the security of the nation are also our priorities and no effort is being spared in dealing with these problems .

Replying to a question, he said: "It does seem coalitions may resurface again after the election both at the national and regional level. The BJP will take other parties along as it has already done at the Centre after the elections, for the idea is to make the government as broad-based and representative as is possible in the circumstances. The country’s politics is in a kind of flux. What will be the final outcome is difficult to predict at this stage. But it does seem the picture may be clearer after some time.

"Of course, a coalition government cannot ride roughshod over areas which are of considerable concern to the parties supporting it. For instance, the Vajpayee-led government cannot remove Article 370 according special treatment to Jammu and Kashmir although there is demand for it from the BJP cadres. Similarly, the government cannot order construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya without a consensus within the government over the issue. But a coalition has to accept this reality and move within parameters set by all those who support it.

Asked what were his outstanding achievements as Central Minister, Sinha said, as Union Health Minister he introduced evening OPD so that people who cannot seek medical treatment because of their jobs during the day can visit hospitals on their return home in the afternoon. Adulteration in medicines is becoming a serious problem. I appointed a special committee to look into this issue and make suitable recommendations. But don’t judge me on the basis of my performance. More than that, judge me on the basis of my integrity, honesty and dedication to the job given to me. I have never been indifferent to my responsibilities as a Central Minister. Sometime ago, newspapers made a story about my absence from the two Houses of Parliament and my office. But this was all without any justification. Some people were jealous of me. They raised questions unnecessarily. Of course, for some time, I was busy with the shooting of a film. But it was with the permission of the Prime Minister. My interest in films will always be there for I have spent my lifetime in this profession. However, I must clarify that my duty as Minister is my first duty now. I acted in 250 films. But now my interest in films will never be at the cost of the job I am supposed to do as a Central Minister. I have to give my best shot as a Minister. But some people still continue to regard me only as an actor. What can you do?

Sinha had known Indira Gandhi well. Asked about the difference between her and Vajpayee today, he said: "Vajpayee is a father figure, with an enormous sense of humour. He is like a Mukhaiya, always keen to help and guide everybody. He is full of love and affection. You can persuade him to your line of thinking. But Indira Gandhi was a different kettle of fish altogether. She was very hypnotic, real star material. The impact of her personality was tremendous. Everybody was talking in hush-hush tones when I had gone to see her once. Everybody was afraid of her. She had a stern outlook, but otherwise she was very nice. In contrast with the stern outlook of Indira Gandhi, Vajpayeeji conducts himself like a family man, full of love and affection."