New Delhi: Sensing the Hindutva pitch and the ballot gambit behind Arvind Kejriwal’s demand to place pictures of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on forex notes, the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) launched a frontal assault Wednesday on the Delhi chief minister to accuse him of constructing a ‘U-turn’ after insulting Ram Mandir and different spiritual symbols.
From nationwide spokespersons Sambit Patra and R. P. Singh to Harayana minister Anil Vij, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya and Delhi celebration in-charge Baijayant Panda, the ruling celebration fielded its battery of state and central leaders in what’s being seen as a change in technique to hold its core base of Hindu vote intact.
“India is progressing quickly. Right now the expansion charge of India is displaying a vibrant future. There’s a risk that the world could also be within the grip of recession however because of the blessing of Lord Ganesha and Lakshmi ji on PM Modi, India’s financial system will flourish. Arvind Kejriwal must cease extreme spending on ads,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra stated at a press convention.
“Kejriwal, who threatened to place folks in jail for celebrating Diwali, who insulted Ram Mandir, Swastika and Kashmiri Hindus, is making an attempt to develop into a devotee immediately.”
Patra claimed that “blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are and can at all times be with this nation and PM Modi”.
“Arvind Kejriwal’s politics is now taking a U-turn… He’s the identical man who declined to ever go to Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, claiming God received’t settle for the prayers supplied there… he’s the identical man who laughed and referred to as the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits a lie, in Parliament.”
BJP nationwide spokesperson R. P. Singh stated that folks perceive the politics behind the transfer and wouldn’t fall for a “poor carbon copy”.
“Individuals can very perceive who’s the unique [BJP] and who’s the poor carbon copy in relation to Hindutva. If he [Kejriwal] has a lot emotions for Hindutva, then pujaris [priests] in Delhi also needs to be given allowance just like the imams [clerics] do. They received’t win regardless of all this too as a result of folks belief the BJP. They take pleasure in all this earlier than elections, considering it would garner them some assist and vote however individuals are not fools,” he asserted.
On the identical traces, Panda suggested Kejriwal to “cease insulting Hindu Gods” as folks can see by means of his “desperation and gimmicks”. “…We will’t enable pedestrian politics to take over our Gods,” he tweeted.
Malviya dubbed Kejriwal an “anti-Hindu bigot” whose “guarantees and pronouncements are supposed to distract from governance failure in Delhi and Punjab”. Equally, Vij denounced the AAP chief saying that his “maya [illusion] was unparalleled.”
Becoming a member of the refrain to criticise the proposal, the Confederation of All India Merchants (CAIT) termed it as ‘absurd’ and ‘illogical’. It’s “completely flawed to place photos of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on Indian forex notes as a result of the notes are utilized in a really flawed method in India, and therefore by placing pictures of Maa Lakshmi and Shri Ganesha we’ll disrespect crucial Gods of our faith,” CAIT secretary basic Praveen Khandelwa stated.
Khandelwal stated folks use forex notes in a really informal method and this is able to be an insult to Hindu gods and goddesses. “They hold forex notes of their pockets, contact them with soiled fingers….some use spit whereas counting. So by placing it on the forex notes, we is not going to solely insult them but additionally humiliate Sanatan Dharma,” he stated, including that the assertion was an try and serve “egocentric political motivation”.
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Technique to counter AAP
Nonetheless, cautious of the Aam Aadmi Get together’s (AAP) “aggressive” use of Hindutva to extend its footprints within the nation, the BJP leaders really feel a transparent lower technique needs to be in place to “expose” Kejriwal. Many say that the technique also needs to issue within the rise of AAP and the influence they may haven’t solely in Gujarat polls and Delhi civic polls but additionally in 2024 and 2029.
One other chief instructed ThePrint that the central management is conscious of AAP’s rising footsteps and that it’s in reality one of many few events gaining momentum and shouldn’t be ignored particularly when it tries to make use of Hindutva to achieve out to voters, one thing which is centric to BJP.
“It will likely be silly to disregard AAP and its progress. Up to now, Keriwal has been pitching his governance mannequin however over a time period he’s making an attempt to emerge as a religious Hindu. This isn’t solely worrisome however it would find yourself making a dent in BJP’s vote financial institution. The difficulty isn’t about Delhi civic polls or Gujarat, however we have now to consider AAP’s prospects not simply in 2024 but additionally 2029,” he asserted.
“Such feedback present that he [Kejriwal] is panicking. When he had come to Gujarat this month, posters of him carrying a skull-cap with the ‘anti-Hindu’ label had gone viral after the conversion controversy [in Delhi]. As a harm management train, he made Kansa remark. So far as Gujarat is worried, our social media group is energetic and every time he makes such feedback, we’re ready together with his earlier statements in addition to tweets when he mocked Hindu gods and goddesses,” one other senior BJP chief stated.
The Delhi BJP unit, which has already began getting ready for the civic polls, additionally criticised Kejriwal for his feedback. “Their [AAP] minister, Gujarat chief and leaders have abused Hindu gods and stated many issues and but, they’re within the celebration. They’re bringing new techniques to save lots of face in polls. Those that objected to Ram Mandir have include a brand new masks,” Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari stated.
Throughout one of many conferences in Delhi, senior leaders have instructed the BJP MPs and celebration cadres to not solely make common visits to temples but additionally promote them on social media. “Forward of the municipal elections in Delhi and Gujarat, Kejriwal is making an attempt to challenge himself as a religious Hindu. Although folks at massive perceive this, we as a celebration have been making an attempt to focus on that it’s nothing however pure politics,” stated one other Delhi BJP chief.
The celebration is compiling an inventory of ‘anti-Hindu’ tweets, statements made by Kejriwal and AAP leaders, he stated, including it would spotlight the U-turns made by the rivals.
“Because the door-to-door marketing campaign will begin from November, aside from different points and highlighting our achievements in Delhi, this facet of Kejriwal making an attempt to mock Hindus and taking them for a journey may even be taken up.”
Political analyst Badri Narayan stated the most recent proposal by Kejriwal exhibits how his politics was shifting. “He’s eyeing Hindu vote financial institution and in addition fascinated with the Gujarat election. Nonetheless, this may occasionally harm the Muslim or secular vote financial institution of AAP in Delhi, as folks have a tendency to have a look at AAP as various to Congress. The BJP doesn’t must strategise in opposition to AAP on Hindutva grounds, because it has all the massive Hindu political symbols — whether or not it’s Ram Janmabhoomi or the current Ujjain Hall inauguration,” Narayan stated.
Prof. Sanjay Kumar from the Centre for the Research of Creating Societies (CSDS) stated this was not a stunning transfer by AAP, because it has been doing such politics to indicate that almost all group is taken care of too.
“They need to ship out a message to the voters… that they’re equally Hindu, and they’re sending out the message loud and clear… utilizing these symbols. One can time period this as a gimmick or new weapon to counter BJP’s declare and enter into BJP’s terrain of Hindutva,” Kumar stated.
Although he doubted the efficacy of such techniques, the political analyst agreed that “it helps in retaining votebank consolidated and permit to ship a message to supporters that this isn’t the celebration which is making an attempt to appease the minority, and is totally different from Congress, RJD, SP and so on”.
With inputs from Unnati Sharma
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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