The hate campaign: RSS BJP’s divisive politics in UP

Nalin Verma

The manner in which the BJP’s triumvirate comprising prime minister, Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are campaigning in Uttar Pradesh gives the impression that the election is about to take place in a day or two.

The common denominator to their speeches and road shows is their brazen targeting of minorities, whether it’s in the name of inaugurating the road projects of “char dhaam (four pilgrimage sites)”, the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor project. And of course, there are road shows to showcase the “metamorphosis” of U.P into the “most developed” state, from an “abyss” of underdevelopment caused by the “appeasement” and “encouragement of “jihadi” elements for decades.

The Election Commission on Thursday clarified that the elections would take place on time and will likely announce the dates soon. However, ever since the PM announced the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws well over a month ago, the BJP’s top brass began descending in hordes in U.P to carry out the campaigns. All of which are overloaded with hate.

A day after the PM announced the withdrawal of the farm laws, BJP president JP Nadda travelled through eastern U.P to address the “booth level” workers. At every public meeting Nadda emphasized, “Mohammad Ali Jinnah ke samarthakon to harana rastravadiyon ka kartavya hai (Defeating supporters of Mohammad Ali Jinnah is the duty of the nationalist parties)”.

Addressing a public meeting at Moradabad on Wednesday, Amit Shah cried, “Ye Jinna, Jinna, Jinna, Jinna chilla rahe hai. Arey bhai, Jinnah 1947 mein hi Pakistan chal-e gaye. Yahan bhavya Ram Mandir ban raha hai (They—read Akhilesh Yadav—are shouting Jinnah, Jinnah, Jinnah, Jinnah. O brothers! Jinnah went to Pakista1n in 1947. Here a magnificent Ram temple is coming up)”. Amit Shah held a road show and addressed a public meeting at Bareilly on Friday.

Speaking elsewhere, Adityanath Yogi said, “Pradhan Mantri ne tou Ayodhya mein Ram Mandir ka nirman or Varanasi me Kashi-Vishwanath mandir ka kaya kalp kar diya. Ab Mathura, Vrindavan kaise chhoot sakta hai (The PM has got Ram Mandir in Ayodhya built and Kashi Vishwanath temple rejuvenated. How can be Mathura and Vrindavan be left out?)”

“Ram Mandir, jihad, atankvaad, tustikaran, Pakistan”—these are the words on the lips of Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath. The RSS-BJP watchers and also the minorities, largely believe that these words are aimed more at targeting minorities and build an atmosphere of “animosity” against them.

Many old-time election watchers in Uttar Pradesh say that seldom in the past, including the 2017 Assembly elections and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has the BJP had focused so much on selectively targeting the minorities. All wings of the Sangh Parivar are singlemindedly focused on the mission.

Apart from the ruling BJP’s top brass, the RSS and its wings have fully invested themselves in election campaign. The RSS is believed to have as many as 46 other wings which include Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Seva Bharti, Rastra Sevika Simiti, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyathi Parishad, Shiksha Bharati, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Samvad Kendera and Rastriya Vichar Manch. The RSS also has wings that work for the welfare of the ex-army men, the people in border areas and also the minorities.

Through these wings, the organization operates at different layers and levels of the society. But the close observers of its operations say that the RSS— an umbrella organization of the Sangh Parivar— has engaged all its wings in the elections—particularly in U.P, the centre of the BJP’s power. The RSS has PM Modi representing the Varanasi seat, bosltered by Chief Minister, Adityanath Yogi in the most populous state. One could even go so far as to say that the foundation of the BJP’s power was laid around the ‘movement’ for the demolition of the Babri Masjid and construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

The Supreme Court, in its November 9, 2019 verdict, said that a trust (to be created by the government of India) will build the Ram Mandir and that the government would give five acres of land in Ayodhya to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board for the purpose of building a mosque as a replacement for the demolished Babri mosque.

However, neither the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, Union Home Minister nor any other RSS-BJP leaders even mention the apex court’s order regarding building the temple and mosque simultaneously at Ayodhya.

The BJP’s top brass has tried to create the perception that