Will religion or caste dominate the country’s politics? This question has been raised from time to time, and the answer has been given in a roundabout way. In politics, there are very few occasions when a direct answer to a question is given.
An attempt has been made to find an answer to this question in the Mandal vs Kamandal fight. Answers have been found in favour of both sides one after the other – and one answer is that neither Mandal nor Kamandal, only time decides whether the elephant will be on the boat or the boat will help the elephant cross the river.
For the past decade, religion has been dominant in Indian politics, but now the same politics seems to be moving towards caste. This is a matter of great concern for the BJP.
That is why the Sangh has planned a religious conference to maintain its connection with the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. And this task has been handed over to the most trusted organization, Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The same Vishwa Hindu Parishad which gave such a sharp edge to the politics of Hindutva that the BJP, along with its allies, regained power at the Centre after being out of power – but as soon as the Ram temple was built in Ayodhya, the situation became such that no one in that camp would have ever imagined – the BJP lost Ayodhya in the Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul Gandhi realized the real power of the INDIA block that defeated the BJP in Ayodhya only when the results of the Lok Sabha elections came on June 4, 2024 – and then, setting aside all the mistakes and give-and-take, he has set out to accomplish the mission.
It seems as if Rahul Gandhi has found his IKIGAI in Indian politics – and the biggest question at such a time is whether this is being felt in BJP too?
The jokes are over, it’s time to get serious
The entire Gandhi family believes that in the past decade, BJP has made Rahul Gandhi’s life miserable. After Congress lost power in 2014, Rahul Gandhi had to face days and nights which he would have never imagined even in his dreams. From going to court with his mother Sonia Gandhi to get bail, to going to the Enforcement Directorate office and appearing before the officers for questioning. For some time, there was even a threat of arrest.
Rahul Gandhi kept on fighting his battle in his own way. All the weapons were failing one by one, but he kept on going. After the long Bharat Jodo Yatra, he also completed another Nyay Yatra. Even then most of the alliance partners got angry. Nitish Kumar even left the alliance.
BJP leaders are mocking Rahul Gandhi for finding a caste angle in the beauty contest. The ‘Pappu’ talk has reached the ‘childish mind’, but Rahul Gandhi is not affected by such things now. Just like he was unaffected by Anurag Thakur’s words in Parliament. Anurag Thakur said, those who do not know their caste are also talking about caste census.
On Rahul Gandhi’s statement asking about caste in Miss India, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, ‘Rahul wants reservation in Miss India too… Childish intelligence may be good for entertainment, but Rahul should not make fun of backward communities with his divisive talk… Miss India, athletes or actors for Olympics are not selected by the government.
That is absolutely correct. Kiren Rijiju may have made this political statement, but he is speaking in simple words. But is he able to understand the seriousness of Rahul Gandhi? Rahul Gandhi has seen the impact of caste politics from afar, are other BJP leaders apart from Kiren Rijiju and Anurag Thakur able to understand that?
While participating in the ‘Respect and Protection of the Constitution’ program in Prayagraj, Rahul Gandhi raises questions, I checked the list of Miss India… there was no Dalit, tribal or OBC woman in it… The Prime Minister says that the country has become a super power… how will it become a super power, when 90 percent of the people are sitting outside the system.
This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi has said this. When the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced by calling a special session of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi had said similar things. Rahul Gandhi had then raised the issue of the number of OBC secretaries posted in the central government – and similarly, he had also raised questions about the preparation of halwa in the budget session.
BJP’s strategists and advisors should have understood Rahul Gandhi’s intentions when he took a U-turn from his old stand on women’s reservation. On the issue on which Congress could not pass the women’s bill despite its efforts due to opposition from Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Yadav’s parties, not only did it not agree on the same issue, but the demand for separate reservation for OBC women started afresh.
If even now leaders like Kiren Rijiju and Anurag Thakur are not able to understand the far-reaching consequences of Rahul Gandhi’s caste politics, then it should be a matter of concern for the BJP.
Not just BJP, others are also at risk
BJP should not forget that its NDA partner Chirag Paswan is also seen standing with Rahul Gandhi on the issue of caste census. BJP should also remember the incident of 2018 when Chirag’s father Ram Vilas Paswan also stood firmly on the issue of SC-ST.
This was when the assembly elections were going on in Karnataka. On March 21, 2018, the Supreme Court had banned immediate arrest in cases registered under the SC/ST Act, 1989. The Supreme Court had ruled that government employees can be arrested only after the permission of the competent authority – a ‘Bharat Bandh’ was also called by the Dalit community against the Supreme Court’s decision, and a dozen people were killed in the violence that took place during the bandh.
Rahul Gandhi asked Congress leaders to raise this issue in the midst of Karnataka elections. Congress immediately stood in support of Dalits. NDA’s Dalit MPs including Ram Vilas Paswan went to Prime Minister Narendra Modi – and the government changed the Supreme Court’s decision. A similar example was seen once again recently when the Supreme Court gave an order regarding sub-quota in SC-ST reservation.
How can BJP forget that a statement by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation had led to defeat in Bihar in 2015. And in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections too, a narrative was spread against BJP about the possibility of abolishing reservation by changing the Constitution – and BJP had to be reduced to 33 seats in UP.
If you notice, the target of Rahul Gandhi’s caste politics is not just BJP, but all those political parties whose dynasty politics runs on the basis of caste vote bank. This is the biggest reason why Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav along with Chirag Paswan are also joining in the chorus.
When the organisational elections were going on in the Congress, Shashi Tharoor had challenged Mallikarjun Kharge. He lost the election, but Shashi Tharoor had said something very big then. Shashi Tharoor said that the Congress should go to its core vote bank – and convince the angry ones and bring them back. It is possible that Shashi Tharoor’s words were ignored by other Congress leaders then, but in Rahul Gandhi’s mission, it seems that Shashi Tharoor’s suggestion has been taken seriously.
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had made several statements about the ideology of regional parties, which had received a strong reaction. However, Rahul Gandhi had said this for the first time during the Chintan Shivir in Udaipur. Rahul Gandhi believes that only political parties like Congress and BJP fight ideological battles in the country, other regional parties do not have anything like ideology.
If we see, Rahul Gandhi has now embarked on a mission which will first target BJP and then all those political parties one by one whose politics has flourished only on the basis of their community.
It is not without reason that Rahul Gandhi has found a caste angle in the Miss India case. Rahul Gandhi is conveying his message to his voters very well – and Rahul Gandhi’s voters are slowly starting to believe that there is someone who is raising their voice. In Bihar politics, Lalu Yadav is considered a pioneer of social justice.
For example, RJD voters in Bihar say that roads may not have been built, development may not have been done, but the respect that Lalu Yadav has given to the deprived sections of society is the biggest thing – and Rahul Gandhi has also started walking on the same path of politics again. Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra, his voters are assuming that it may be late, but the darkness will end. This applies to Congress as well.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)