Elements of a 'vibrant democracy' as India is famous for has come alive in Indian power politics yet again; now in the run up to the Jan 22, 2024 Ram Temple event.
Hindu Shankaracharyas have cited different reasons and say they will stay away from the event. But they favour the construction of the temple.
The Congress party said the top leaders will not attend. Congress veteran Karan Singh, once the Hindu crown prince of Kashmir province, says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge should have gone. Another Congress leader says - its half built temple, and no logic of consecration. The BJP is keen to 'exploit' maximum politically.
The plot has all the ingredients of an interesting and exciting saga. But the most important feature that has come to the fore as of now is while the Lotus party could gain from radical polarisation; the Congress has blundered yet again. In fact, gradually the opposition parties are walking into a fantastic trap created by the BJP and its star campaigner Narendra Modi.
The Congress took days to say 'no' to the invite. Many within the party think, it was a costly mistake. Veteran Karan Singh says, "religion" is inherent part of Indian mindset. And the Ram temple symbolises something big. They never understood the power of this 'sleeping giant' as an electoral issue.
The statement from Jairam Ramesh announcing that party chief Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury clearly read a NGO-variety statement. The 'urban Naxal' or Sickularism variety. They know all, and they forget how much armed-chair experts they have been.
According to another Congress Kishore chandra Deo, former Minister and now Rahul's most trusted man Jairam had earlier cost the Congress dearly in united Andhra Pradesh and also Odisha. No wonder, Congress was not visible in this region for long.
Thanks to 2023 polls, in Telangana, it's back in power.
But the crux of the story is by declining to attend the Ram Mandir ceremony, the Congress and its powerful leader Rahul Gandhi has displayed his love for urban Naxalism and also so-called Left liberal thought process. That thought process is guided by arrogance and know-all spirit.
Honourable Mr Kharge behaved as a rubber stamp president as was expected of him; and Sonia Gandhi who could have prevailed upon Rahul stood blinded by her motherly love. A mother's love is good and a genuine blessing; but like in the case of Dhritarashtra, its dangerous for power politics.
Rajiv Gandhi understood the power of Hindutva push and hence he started 1989 election campaign from Ayodhya and also pledged to bring a Ram Rajya. But maybe it was too late. In 1989 polls, the BJP's strength in Lok Sabha went up from two to 85.
The saffron party and its two founders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani had arrived. The fact of the matter is that the BJP has not looked back since then. It suffered a mega setback in 2004 and 2009, but its numbers did not go below 100. The Congress tally in 2014 and 2019 had nosedived below one-tenth of the total number of seats in Lok Sabha. But a party 'caged' to dynasty cannot see reasons!
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| One frame: Four Congress leaders, three party presidents |
About Rahul Gandhi, one eminent leader says, "We have only wasted time".
The Congress often used futile and knee-jerk strategies to counter the Moditva phenomenon.
On February 9, 2013 in a secret operation, the UPA government hanged Afzal Guru, prime accused in December 2001 parliament attack.
Two days later on February 11, Akali Dal spokesman Prem Singh Chandumajra claimed the hurried hanging of Afzal was carried out “to counter the growing popularity of Gujarat Chief Minister”.
Many others seemed to have agreed. The ultra left, CPI-ML Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya went a step further and said, “the hanging of Afzal Guru at the crack of dawn on 9 February, done in an extremely secretive manner without even informing his family, will be recognised by every justice-loving person as a case of justice being hanged to appease the communal fascist forces who want to make Narendra Modi India’s Prime Minister.”
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| Afzal |
The decline of Congress, which still appears clueless on how to handle Modi, is actually directly proportional to the rise of Namo. In contrast, look at the manner Modi emerged from the shadows of Godhra and Gujarat. In 2013, Modi addressed a large group of students at Shri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi.
‘Times of India’ carried a blog that said, “The college, said a statement from the Gujarat government, (had) invited Modi after a campus survey in which students overwhelmingly indicated their preference to hear him. I won't be surprised if they are telling the truth. There may be more colleges and universities lining up in the near future to have him address their students”.
While Modi has made himself a perfect communicator wooing voters where ever necessary and remaining silent where he has to; the Congress leaders only display arrogance despite repeated failures to counter him.
The Congress under attack and faced with internal rebellion in many states has unleashed its ecosystem trying to build up an argument that religious works should be left to religious Gurus, priests and seers; and why should a mortal politician do it.
Congress spokesman Pawan Khera tried to strike a balance. He said, "There was an invite and they have responded" -- reference to Congress statement that Sonia Gandhi, Malikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not go.
"But there is no bar on any other Congress leader who wants to go if invited....even UP Congress chief Ajay Rai is going to the Ram Temple on Jan 15," he said. So why decline an invite, just because they suspect RSS and BJP are playing politics?
In fact, a logical question will be can politics really be kept at large? It's the BJP and RSS foot soldiers who died in police firing when Mulayam Singh Yadav was UP Chief Minister. It was the same 'kar sewaks and Ram Bhakts' who were killed when the train burnt at Godhra in Gujarat in 2002. It was the BJP which sacrificed its governments in UP, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh because Babri Masjid was brought down.
Every game has a rule of half-time and change of flanks. For the saffron party and millions of its supporters and workers, the time has come. But Congress is unable to put up a brave aggressive front foot while going for a stroke as the cricket lingo goes. It is unable to put up a good defence too.
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