News Analysis India

Tag: Hindutva

  • Uttar Pradesh brand of Hindutva rhetoric failed in ‘secular’ Bengal: Strategist

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: More than two-and-a-half-months after West Bengal’s Assembly results shattered the BJP’s dream of bagging over 200 seats, a key back-room strategist of the saffron camp, in a closed-door meeting, admitted that the Uttar Pradesh brand of Hindutva rhetoric failed to fetch votes in ‘secular’ Bengal.

    At the meeting with the party’s Bengal functionaries, Shivprakash, BJP’s joint national general secretary (organisation), who was deployed to Bengal to derail TMC-led government, purportedly said, “Attempts to polarise the electorate on the lines of religion did not work in secular Bengal. UP brand of Hindutva politics did not appeal to most of the voters.”

    He also made it clear that the party’s Hindutva rhetoric led to the consolidation of the vote-bank of minorities, who form 30% of the total electorate, and failed to take the majority of the voters into confidence.

    Sources in Bengal BJP said it was the first time that a national leader admitted the party’s tactical error in the recent high-octane Assembly elections. “He also admitted that not paying heed to our warning that the Hindutva narrative would not work in Bengal was a mistake,” said a BJP leader in Kolkata.

  • Row as Rajasthan Congress chief accepts Savarkar as freedom fighter, BJP thrilled

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Unlike his party bosses, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara asserted that no one can deny that Veer Savarkar had participated in the freedom struggle and even went to jail for the sake of the motherland.

    The Congress leader’s acceptance of Savarkar as a freedom fighter is being seen as crossing the party line.

    Speaking at an event in Jaipur on the occasion of August Kranti Diwas on Monday, Dotasara said “we can’t deny that Savarkar did not play any role in country’s freedom struggle. He used to talk about Hindu Rashtra but it was not wrong at that time as our country was not independent and our Constitution was not formed.” 

    Dotasara’s remarks ignited a huge political row. Dotasara’s remarks have given the BJP an opportunity to embarrass the ruling Congress. 

    The BJP claimed that Dotasara’s statement directly implies that he recognizes the contribution of Savarkar in the freedom struggle and the truth about Savarkar is finally being accepted by Congress leaders such as Dotasara. 

    The Congress has attacked Savarkar for decades. In reality, the Hindutva ideologue played a major role in freeing the country and the truth cannot be hidden anymore – as Dotasara’s remarks reflect. 

    ALSO READ | Congress disagree with Shiv Sena’s demand for Bharat Ratna to Savarkar: Nana Patole

    Former state BJP president Ashok Parnami welcomed Dotasara’s comment and said: “The truth has finally came out from Dotasara’s tongue. Veer Savarkar was instrumental in liberating the country and such truth cannot be denied for long.” 

    For a long time, the Congress had been calling Veer Savarkar as an insider of the then British government. As he is now accused of crossing the party line, Dotasara has clarified that his remarks have been twisted by the BJP to suit its political aims.   

    Claiming that the country got independence because of people who believed in the ideology of the Congress, Dotasara said he had not said anything against the Congress’s view on Savarkar. He argued: “The kind of ideology, work, and thoughts that Savarkar had, if we read them in history books, then we find that he talked about a Hindu nation, which was not a sin before independence as at that time, our country was not free and the Constitution was not in force.

    “However, after our country became independent, the Constitution was adopted and people of every caste and religion accepted it, the BJP and the RSS conspired to use Savarkar’s ideology to create disharmony and make brothers fight against each other. We are against this ideology.” 

    The Rajasthan Congress chief also said, “we have to understand that Savarkar went to jail at that time and no one can deny this. But, after going to jail, he urged the British four times to set him free, explaining his usefulness to the British. It is recorded in history books.” 

  • BJP MP hoists community flag at Jaipur’s Amagarh Fort, defies Hindutva groups

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan police arrested BJP MP Kirori Lal Meena on Sunday after he hoisted a tribal white-coloured flag despite prohibitory orders at the Amagarh Fort in Jaipur. Police said that Meena has been arrested for disturbing the peace in the area. Dodging the heavy deployment of police around the fort, Kirodi Lal Meena managed to sneak inside the Amagarh Fort with his supporters and hoisted the flag on Sunday morning. A little later, the Jaipur police took corrective steps and detained the Rajya Sabha MP.

    Despite heavy police deployment in and around the fort, Kirodi Lal Meena and his supporters managed to enter the premises and unfurl the flag, following which he was taken into preventive custody by the Rajasthan Police. In a video shot by his supporters, before the police arrived to detain him, Kirodi Lal Meena said, “along with dozens of brave Meena youth, we have overcome several challenges to enter the Amagarh Fort and hoisted the flag of the Meena community.”

    Tensions have been running high in Jaipur for over a week after some Hindutva groups allegedly hoisted a saffron flag atop the Amagarh Fort which was later removed by members of the tribal Meena community who accused right-wing Hindu groups of tampering with their culture. The Amagarh Fort has a temple that is popular among members of the Meena community.

    After a video of the removal of the saffron flag went viral, Hindu outfits had raised objections. Controversy erupted as Hindutva groups claimed that Meena community leader and independent MLA Ramkesh Meena had allegedly torn off the saffron flag while it was being removed from the Amagarh Fort. BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena had accused Ramkesh Meena of misleading the community and creating disharmony. He said also argued that Meenas were Hindus and Ramkesh Meena was distorting facts.

    Tensions between the Meenas and Hindu outfits had escalated further over remarks of Sudarshan TV editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke who had threatened to visit the fort on August 1 to once again hoist a saffron flag on the Amagarh Fort.

    On Saturday, Chavhanke was booked in a police case in Jaipur for hurting religious sentiments under relevant provisions of the IPC, IT and SC/ST Acts. The FIR against Chavhanke, lodged by Girraj Meena, the head of the Surajpol unit of the Rajasthan Adivasi Meena Seva Sangh, claims that Chavhanke abused the community on his channel and hurt their sentiments.

    Given this massive row and fears that tensions may erupt in a big way at the Amagarh on August 1, prohibitory orders were issued. The Jaipur Police had tightened security arrangements to prevent anyone from going to the fort but with MP  Kirodi Lal Meena and his supporters sneaking in, the Jaipur police has been left rather red-faced.

    MLA Ramkesh Meena said that he has no objection to Kirori Lal hoisting the white flag of the Meena community.  The MLA said that they were opposed to Hindutva organizations who had announced that they will hoist a saffron flag in Amagarh. Ramkesh says that since Kirori Lal has hoisted the flag of the Meena community, he has no hard feelings.

  • Pegasus scandal part of larger architecture to consolidate authoritarian Hindu regime: CPM

    In the latest editorial of its mouthpiece, Peoples Democracy, the Left party said the bigger picture of the issue must not be obscured.

  • Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje steps down, Rabindra Narain Singh becomes VHP president 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Rabindra Narain Singh, an orthopaedic surgeon and a Padma Shri awardee, was elected as the president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday.

    Singh, who hails from Bihar, was serving as the vice president of the saffron outfit so far.

    He had received Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2010 for his contributions to the field of medical science.

    “Our board of trustees today unanimously elected Padma Shri Ravindra Narain Singh as our president,” VHP’s joint general secretary Surendra Jain said at a press conference.

    Singh replaced Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje, who had been serving as the VHP president since his election to the top post in April 2018.

    “Kokje ji is now 82 years old. He wanted to be relieved of his responsibilities as the VHP president. The election has been conducted as per his wishes and our constitution,” Jain said.

    Singh is a renowned orthopaedic surgeon.

    He is known for his contributions in social, religious, medical and various other fields, Jain said.

    “Election of such a person to the post of VHP president is a matter of pride for all of us,” Jain said.

    The newly appointed president of the VHP was present during the press conference and shared the dais with Jain and other VHP leaders.

    Elections were also held for the post of the general secretary and Milind Parande, the outfit’s current general secretary, was unanimously re-elected, Jain said.

    The polls for the president and general secretary of the VHP were held amid a two-day meeting of the outfit’s governing council and board of trustees in Faridabad on Saturday morning.

  • Hindutva way of life, adherents of most religions descendants of Hindus: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that Hindutva is a way of life and claimed that adherents of most religions are descendants of Hindus.

    Hindutva began 5,000 years ago and it cannot be stopped, the senior BJP leader said at a press conference organised to mark the completion of the second month of his government in the state.

    “Hindutva is a way of life. How can I or anybody stop it? It has been flowing through the ages. Almost all of us are descendants of Hindus. A Christian or a Muslim has also descended from Hindus at some point in time,” he said.

    Hindutva cannot be “removed” as it will mean “moving away from one’s roots and motherland”, Sarma said.

    Asked about the issue of “Love Jihad”, the chief minister said he has reservations for the term but asserted that nobody will be allowed to cheat a woman.

    “The government will not tolerate any woman being cheated by anyone — whether Hindu or Muslim. Appropriate action will be taken against such offenders to ensure the safety and security of our sisters,” he said.

    Asked about the opposition’s criticism of him for his statement that MLAs are meant to frame laws and ministers responsible for the development of constituencies, Sarma claimed that this is what the Constitution of India says and “legislators are above ministers” in this regard in the assembly.

    On Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi’s statement that he will question the government at the assembly on alleged ‘anti-people policies’, Sarma said, “As the ruling party, the BJP will get three hours, as the main opposition party, the Congress will get one hour, while an Independent MLA will get three minutes and can ask within that time.”

    “The BJP will not allow democracy to be hijacked but welcomes participatory democracy,” he added.

  • Remove BJP leaders who ‘harassed’ Muslims if true to your words: Digvijaya Singh to RSS chief

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat asserted that the DNA of all Indians is the same, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday said if Bhagwat is true to his words, he must give directions that all those BJP leaders who “harassed” innocent Muslims be removed from their posts.

    Singh, however, added that Bhagwat will not do so, alleging that there is a difference between his words and actions.

    In his address at an event ‘Hindustan First Hindustani Best’ organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Bhagwat also took on those indulging in lynching.

    “Cow is a holy animal, but those involved in lynching are against Hindutva,” he had said.

    Bhagwat had also said that though at times, some “false cases” of lynching have been registered against some people.

    AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit back at Bhagwat over his remarks, saying those criminals who carried out lynching may not know the difference between a cow and a buffalo but the names of Junaid, Akhlaq, Pehlu, Rakbar, Alimuddin were enough for them to kill.

    This hatred is the product of Hindutva and these criminals have the patronage of a government backing Hindutva, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) alleged.

    “Cowardice, violence and murder are an integral part of Godse’s Hindutva thinking.

    The lynching of Muslims is also the result of this thinking,” he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Tagging a report on the RSS chief’s remarks that the DNA of all Indians is the same and those asking Muslims to leave the country cannot call themselves Hindus, Singh said, “Mohan Bhagwat ji, will you pass on these views to your disciples, preachers, Vishwa Hindu Parishad/Bajrang Dal workers also? Will you pass on these teachings to Modi-Shah ji and BJP chief minister also?” “Mohan Bhagwat ji, if you make it obligatory for your disciples to follow this thought, I will become your admirer,” the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

    Alleging that the RSS had instilled “hatred” between Hindus and Muslims, Singh said it was now not easy to remove the “seeds of hatred” sown against Muslims from “Saraswati Shishu Mandir to the intellectual training provided by the Sangh.”

    “If you are honest with the views you expressed, then issue directions to remove all those leaders in the BJP, who have harassed innocent Muslims, from their posts immediately.

    Start with (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (UP Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath,” the Congress leader said. Referring to Bhagwat’s remarks giving primacy to being Indian, Singh asked Bhagwat to explain this to his disciples first as they “advised me to go to Pakistan many times”.

  • RSS world’s biggest school of patriotism: BJP on Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of Hindutva organisation

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday lauded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the “world’s biggest school of patriotism” as it slammed Rahul Gandhi for likening the Hindutva organisation to radical Islamist outfits in Pakistan.

    Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told a press conference that it will take the Congress leader a long time to understand the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP.

    The RSS is the “world’s biggest school of patriotism” and that is why it is held in high esteem, he said. The RSS’ role is to affect good changes in people and inspire patriotism in them, he told reporters after he was asked about Gandhi’s comments.

    In a conversation with Kaushik Basu, professor at the Cornell University in the US and India’s former chief economic advisor, Gandhi had alleged on Tuesday that the RSS uses schools run by it to push a particular world view like the radical Islamists in Pakistan do in madrassas.

    The Congress leader also termed the Emergency imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi a “mistake”.

    However, he added that it was fundamentally different from the current scenario as Congress at no point attempted to capture the country’s institutional framework.

    Hitting back at Gandhi, Jaavdekar said his statement was “laughable” as his party had then ended the independence of institutions, denied media freedom and jailed dissenting voices. He said lakhs of people, including MPs and MLAs, were arrested during that time while institutions were denied any freedom.

    Now for him to say that they did not target institutions is laughable, Javadekar said.

    The BJP leader also took a swipe at the Congress over its promise to nullify the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam if it is voted to power in the state.

    “The Congress party in 2015 demanded citizenship for Hindu Bengalis & Buddhists who migrated from Bangladesh, today the same Congress says that it will nullify CAA if voted to power. Consistent inconsistency & Election opportunism,” he later tweeted.

    Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had made the statement during her recent campaign in Assam.

    Javadekar shared a 2015 news report citing the Congress’ demand for citizenship for Hindu and Buddhist refugees from Bangladesh.

    Responding to a question at the press conference, the minister also rejected allegations that the Income Tax raids on the premises of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Taapsee Pannu were linked to their comments, which are seen at times critical of the BJP.

    “This is too much,” he said to the question and added that “probe agencies undertake investigations based on credible information and the matter later goes to courts as well.”

    The Income Tax Department on Wednesday raided premises linked to the filmmakers, including Kashyap, who launched the now-dissolved production house Phantom Films, Reliance Entertainment group CEO Shibhashish Sarkar and Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu, officials said.

  • In “Secular” Row For Uddhav Thackeray And Governor, Sharad Pawar’s Letter To PM Modi

    Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has reacted strongly to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding the reopening of places of worship. The Shiv Sena ally wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was “shocked and surprised” at the language used by the Governor.

    “I must mention here that I agree the Hon. Governor can have his independent views and opinions on the issue. I also appreciate the prerogative of the Governor to convey his views to the Chief Minister. However, I am shocked and surprised to see the letter of the Governor released to the media and the kind of language used in the letter,” he said in the letter to PM.

    On Monday, the Governor wrote to Uddhav Thackeray “requesting him to announce forthwith” the reopening of places of worship with Covid precautions. “You have been a strong votary of Hindutva. You had publicly espoused your devotion for Lord Rama by visiting Ayodhya after taking charge as Chief Minister. You had visited the Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Pandharpur and performed the puja on Ashadhi Ekadashi,” Mr Koshyari wrote.

    “I wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of places of worship time and again or have you turned ‘secular’ yourselves, a term you hated?”

    The Chief Minister retorted that his Hindutva did not require a certificate from the Governor or anyone and that he would take a decision after careful consideration. “You said I am getting divine premonitions? Maybe you get them but I am not so big,” he wrote back in Marathi.

    Mr Thackeray reminded the Governor that the reopening of temples or delaying it “is not a question of secularism” and questioned whether Mr Koshyari had forgotten his own constitutional oath.

  • Editorial: – Hindutva and misguided collaborating on the people

    After coming to power in 2014, look at BJP’s bye-elections, BJP gets a by-election, but she wins in the main election. At the same time, there is a rule of BJP and its allies on almost all India except for a few states.

    Opposition unity on any seat is possible against the BJP. But is this unity also possible for 545 seats?

    There is a direct contest between BJP and Congress in less than 150 seats. But in the remaining 400 seats, will the Congress and other opposition parties contest together?

    Therefore, the results of the bye-elections should not be frozen in the joy of winning opposition parties by looking at them. In the same way, the ruling NDA will have to think that whether it will take the victory of opposition parties seriously or not. A spark can also demolish a beautiful palace.

    These questions asked by tweeting Kumar Vishwas’s tweet on the victory of the Opposition in the by-election

    Kumar Vishwas tweeted on opposition parties about winning the many seats of Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections in the by-election. Let me tell you, Kumar Vishwas wrote in his tweet, “Today will give” character certificate “to Schwadkar today?

    Many people have also endorsed him by commenting on this tweet on Kumar Vishwas. People wrote in their comment, “Sir, today the Schwanger has come here from God. Nothing good can happen to the Schwanger”.

    : Kejriwal told defeat of BJP, “anger of the people”, people asked “what happened to you” in Punjab.

    Twitter users reminded them of the votes cast of Aam Aadmi Party in the last elections. People said that the security of the people of your party was also seized.

    The results of the by-election have almost arrived. These results, where the message of relief and strength for the United Opposition has come, then there is also a danger bell for the BJP. The BJP has lost two seats in the by-election by four seats in the Lok Sabha. However, among these shocks BJP’s defeat in West Bengal also has a positive signal for the party.

    To be told the truth, now the fate of chess for 2019, after the results of the by-elections, will be the game of cheating.

    Political parties can begin their walks.

    In October, the notification for assembly elections will be issued in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Many important developments can now be seen before this. In the monsoon session, BJP will do its utmost to pass three divorces and OBC commission bill, from which the party has great expectations in 2019. However, it will be challenging to deal with the siege of opposition on the issue of farmers and Dalits in front of them.

    Political parties and political parties will move on issues related to dalits and peasants

    The support of these farmers and Dalits was a major contributor to the BJP’s big win in 2014. Opposition made a big issue on the recent incidents of dalits and the decreasing earnings of the farmers. Now the Dalits will be on the vote of farmers.

    BJP is preparing to announce a major announcement on the Minimum Support Price for farmers as well as preparing for the ordinance for dalit rights. Obviously, in the next few days, politics will be around these two issues and in 2019 the right two factor direction will be decided.

    In the last phase, PM Modi can spend huge amount on welfare schemes. Ayushman plan will also launch on August 15. Apart from this, there is a program to connect 100 million people with the pension scheme. This means that there may be some big announcements for the next 100 days.

    The opposition can now make a big movement on the job issue including petrol. That is why it is possible that the government has some measures to curb rising prices of petrol and diesel.

    There are 4 Lok Sabha seats and bye-elections by 2019. Among them, there are three seats in Karnataka and one in Jammu and Kashmir. Two of them are still with the BJP. Now the bye-elections in these seats will have to be seen whether the unity of the JDS and the Congress will remain and what the BJP will bring in these elections.

    Shiv Sena can not go with Congress and NCP in Lok Sabha elections He and the BJP will have to fight together in every condition. In such a case, it is inappropriate to rid the Sena of the defeat of the BJP in the by-election. Does anyone stare at a stumbling block even on their own?

    Hindutva, nationalist forces should also not take lightly the objection to mobilization of Christians by the fatwa issued by Deoband and mobilization of Christians by Archbishop. To defeat separatist forces, more and more nationalist forces have to vote.

    This is the message of these bye-elections.