New Delhi: In an interview with the Hindu veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has characterised the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across the country as a bid for power. “It’s a harsh truth that every government wants to stay in power,” said Joshi, responding to an open-ended query about his “take on SIR”.He said delimitation was delayed in 2000 during the time in power of former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee “because we also wanted to stay in power” and that the deferral in 1976 was for the same reason.The deferrals, achieved through constitutional amendments, froze the representation of states in parliament based on 1971 census population figures. Regular delimitation would have disadvantaged southern states, an argument that still applies against the exercise.Joshi said democracy is the “best” form of government, “provided elections are fair, the government is held accountable and the bureaucracy remains transparent”.Of late, the Modi government has faced severe criticism from the opposition, civil society and citizens who say elections are not being held in a fair or transparent manner, that the government refuses to be held accountable and that the bureaucracy, especially the Election Commission of India (ECI) is opaque.Also read: The Election Commission’s SIR Press Note Raises More Questions Than It Answers“Where trust is missing, people won’t accept even good things,” Joshi told the Hindu. “If voices are raised, address them; standing there with a stick won’t work.”He was openly critical of the Modi government’s handling of the Jantar Mantar protests in Delhi and beyond, saying that it should have accepted it failed to deliver on its promises to the youth or Gen Z.“Why is Gen Z angry? Because of the misguided aspirations that we created. You promised jobs. Where are the jobs?” he said.Joshi also spoke about the Ram Temple trust and the ongoing donation theft probe. He said what happened at the temple was the government’s responsibility because it set up the trust that runs it. Joshi was one among those who spearheaded the Ram Janmabhoomi movement through to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.“Who forms the trust? The government. So, whatever is happening in the trust is the responsibility of the government,” the former minister of education said.He was also critical of how the government has handled its environmental responsibilities, including the construction of the all-weather road in the fragile Himalaya region. He said he had made enquiries at the “highest level” and was told the road was not a necessity for the military.Also read: As Cracks Develop on Badrinath Highway, Experts Say Joshimath Displacement Ongoing for Years“I am not saying that there should be no development; what I am saying is that it should be sustainable and the environment must be considered,” Joshi said, also referring to the recent disco-like event held at Badrinath shrine in Uttarakhand as contrary to the religious and historical traditions it represents.“In the present scenario, I think the country has lost its track. But if we look at history, whenever our country deviated from its path, it also managed to realign. We make mistakes, and we always learnt the lesson, which is reflected in our growth,” he said.