The BJP is trying to broaden its political canvas by finding ways to reach out to sub-minority groups among Muslims and Christians, while the Opposition, in its effort to address its diverse support base at the regional level, seems to be pushing Hindus away through a series of statements about the religion, Ram Temple and Ayodhya.
The BJP is clearly trying to make an outreach to Pasmandas among Muslims, Syro-Malabar Christians among Christians, and seems to be systematically approaching the larger religious minorities like Muslims and Christians at the community level. But the Opposition, in a sharp contrast to BJP’s election strategy, seems to be alienating the majority.
Be it calling out the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, deciding to skip the inaugural Pran Pratistha event, or speaking about the Hindu religion in a way that has been termed “unnuanced” by political experts, constituents of the anti-BJP INDIA bloc are creating a larger political conflict between two narratives ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The RSS-BJP combine is reaping the benefits of such statements made by senior leaders of the Congress, DMK, SP and CPM. Over the past few days, statements coming from CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, Sam Pitroda of the Congress, Swami Prasad Maurya of the Samajwadi Party, questioning the purpose of the construction of the Ram Temple, calling it a ‘political gimmick’ and also questioning the Hindu religion, have given BJP leaders more than one reason to call the opposition parties ‘anti-Hindu’. Months ago, DMK leader Udayanidhi Stalin’s comment about the Sanatan Dharma triggered a raging controversy.
“Notwithstanding the fact that India, at 3.2%, is currently witnessing the lowest unemployment in last two decades, inflation is range bound and among the lowest in world, Pitroda has the audacity to conflate consecration of Ram Mandir with inflation and unemployment! Shameful. It is outright demeaning for Hindus to have Sam Pitroda, who often speaks for Rahul Gandhi, indulge in politics of binary on the Ram Mandir,” said Amit Malviya, BJP’s national IT cell chief and national executive member.
With the RSS-BJP making the Ram Mandir the central political narrative before general elections, opposition parties like the Trinamool Congress, the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, CPM and others are likely to skip the inaugural ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. The senior members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, however, said the trust would invite all senior politicians, including Opposition leaders, and Chief Ministers of all states.
“Ram Mandir was built from people’s donations, we have not taken any government money for that. We believe that Ram is a symbol of India’s culture and tradition. He cannot and should not be associated with any political party or political agenda. We will invite everyone. However, it is their decision to accept the invitation or to stay away from the temple for their vested political interest,” said a senior leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an affiliate of the RSS.
Ram Mandir ‘State Sponsored’ and ‘National Issue’: Opposition
In a statement, the CPM said that it is “most unfortunate that the BJP and RSS have converted a religious ceremony into a State-sponsored event directly involving the Prime Minister, the UP Chief Minister and other government functionaries.”
“The CPI(M) General Secretary Comrade Sitaram Vechury has received an invitation to attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The CPI(M) policy has been to respect religious beliefs and safeguarding the right of every individual to pursue their belief. It believes that religion is a personal choice not to be converted into an instrument for political gain. Therefore, we will not be
attending the ceremony. A fundamental principle of governance in India as reiterated by the Supreme Court is that the State in India, under the Constitution, should have no religious affiliation. This is being violated by the ruling regime in the organisation of the event,” said the statement.
Hours after Yechury’s comment on the invitation and the statement issued by the party, Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, said he was worried to see the Ram Temple and the lighting of the lamps become national issues in the politics of the country.
On the same day, Sharad Pawar of the NCP said he was unable to understand what the BJP was trying to gain from the Ram Temple. “Is it commercial or political gain? Or is it just to create a different opinion,” he asked.
A senior Trinamool Congress leader said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to skip the event as well.
Modi, Mandir, Mahila, Majboori – Four Ms That Will Dominate Elections
Senior political experts say the ‘Mandir’ (temple) occupies an important space in people’s perception. It is among the four Ms that will dominate the elections.
“Modi and his popularity are crucial factors. Mandir is another significant factor. Mahila (women) vote is very important for all political parties as it can swing either way and can become a political advantage. Finally, Majboori (helplessness) is a factor as many people may feel that there is a lack of options to vote for,” said Sandeep Shastri, senior political analyst and national coordinator, Lokniti network.
Both the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA coalition are very clear about the agenda they want to set. And keeping that in mind, they have adopted a very clear strategy, said Shastri, explaining the statements coming from the Opposition leaders about the Ram Temple’s inaugural ceremony. He, however, feels that the consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of the BJP has already reached a saturation point, but the party would not leave any chance to attack the Opposition bloc on such statements.
“Being critical of the INDIA alliance is something that the BJP would like to do to score some extra points ahead of the elections. But I would hesitate to say that it would further consolidate the Hindu votes, because it has already happened. What could the BJP earn politically from the Hindutva factor that it hasn’t already earned? The consolidation of Hindu votes has already reached a saturation point,” he said.
“On the other hand, INDIA group’s primary challenge is to stitch together and save the alliance. These are the parties with strong regional identities. They represent diverse ideas. Udayanidhi says one thing and Swami Prasad Maurya says another thing, while Sam Pitroda says a third thing and Sitaram Yechury says a fourth thing. In a sense, they want to cater to the diversity their party represents. The BJP, meanwhile, is trying to look at the unifying factor in the country by making an outreach. I think this is a competition between two alternative narratives. And the election will be about which narrative has a greater appeal. It is a war of perception,” he added.
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