Mohd Azharuddin talks to Nuzhat Aziz about his new interests politics and austerity

Cricketer-turned-politician Mohammad Azharuddin was in Pune yesterday to campaign for Congress candidates.

Lunching over Chinese food and shwarma at the Le Meridien and driving around in a Merc, the Morabad MP fielded questions on his party's austerity drive and his political career...

You had visited a Dalit home in Morabad on Oct 2. It has been heard that you refused to shake hands with the Dalits. What happened to the 'aam aadmi' portrayal of the Congress?

No such incident happened. In fact, some people even said that I carried a carton of mineral water with me. I travelled 50 kms from Moradabad and ate a simple meal of dal and rice at a Dalit's home and enjoyed it.

And I don't drink water an hour before and after my meal, so there was no question of me having carried mineral water.

The entire purpose of visiting Dalit homes is to connect with the aam aadmi and understand their issues. We are not trying to garner mileage out of this.

What do you think about the austerity drive? And don't you think you should have lunched at a lesser extravagant place than the Le Meridien and driven a regular car and not a Mercedes?

The party's austerity drive is quite meaningful. And as far as my lunch at a five-star hotel in Pune is concerned, I think it is quite a petty issue. It is hardly anything to talk about.

Some politicians have cast an aspersion on you saying 'Azharuddin is neither a good human being nor a good politician'. What do you have to say to that?

People who are not in power make such statements. They don't have much to do any way. My work will prove what I can perform well as a politician.