Rightist BJP implementing leftist agenda

BJP’s tenure: Symbolic nationalism amid continued leftist policies

There must be some limit to duplicity, self-delusion, and self-deception.

What matters is what a political party does after it attains power, not what it professes while in opposition.

Notably, Article 14 of the Indian Constitution mandates the “Right to Equality before the Law“. Additionally, Article 15(1) prohibits discrimination against any citizen.

While in opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was a staunch critic of Congress-led governments’ leftist and minority-appeasing policies. The BJP’s motto was “Justice to all, and appeasement of none,” with the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code as its mission.

Disgusted with Congress-led governments’ discriminatory laws and appeasement policies, countless patriots worked tirelessly to bring the BJP to power in 2014. However, after assuming power, the BJP government fell into the same trap of leftist minority appeasement and has not broken free from it.

Although the BJP is widely celebrated as a right-wing party committed to nationalism and national integration, its long tenure from 2014 to 2024 shows that, apart from symbolic gestures toward nationalism, it has continued Congress-era leftist, pseudo-secular laws and expanded minority appeasement policies, thereby causing significant damage to Hindu civilization:

Continuation of leftist laws

BJP government has continued the Congress-led government’s “National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992” through which the nation got divided into majority and minority with Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians being notified as minorities in October 1993, and Jains in January 2014.

Besides, the BJP has continued the Congress-led government pseudo-secular laws like the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, Wakf Act, 1995, and The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004.

BJP has also continued the Congress-led government’s “Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009” which puts the government’s absolute control over Hindu-run schools while Minority-run schools are exempt from it.

This Act requires Hindu-run schools to provide free education (with negligible compensation from the government) to at least 25 percent of students from weaker sections and to satisfy many other conditions which has made the cost of Hindu-run schools prohibitive shutting down thousands of Hindu-run schools all over the country.

Moreover, BJP did nothing to free Hindu temples from government control by amending or repealing “The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Act 1951” which allows state governments to control Hindu temples and their properties whereas minorities’ places of worship are free from such control.

Furthermore, the BJP government did not pass Dr. Satya Pal Singh’s Bill Number 226 of 2016 and Bill No. 205 of 2019 (in Lok Sabha) which sought the same religious, educational,l and cultural rights for Hindus as are given to minorities.

Expansion of appeasement policies

The Congress-led government formed the Sachar Committee and the Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2006. Sachar Committee recommended scholarships, educational and financial incentives, loans, and special schemes for minorities.

As the opposition party, BJP had lambasted the Sachar Committee and Minority Affairs Ministry as communal, divisive, and “appeasement” of minorities. However, the BJP government has not abolished the Minority Affairs Ministry though it can be abolished immediately just by an Executive Order/ Notification.

Rather, the BJP has vastly expanded minority appeasing policies.

Some of the new schemes launched by the BJP for minorities are “Nai Udaan”, “Naya Savera”, “Shadi Shagun”, Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, “Padho Pardesh” etc.

The BJP government is allocating thousands of crores of rupees every year for minorities.

Immediately after winning the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP government declared five crore scholarships for minorities in June 2019.

BJP’s National Education Policy, 2020 further expanded minority appeasement in the field of education by creating Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (S.E.D.G.s) and including minorities also in “S.E.D.G.s” for special treatment.

The pathetic plight of the “Uniform Civil Code”

BJP had promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code in its Election Manifestoes of 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024.

Besides, in many of its judgments, the Supreme Court has suggested its implementation by the Parliament. And Article 44 of the Indian Constitution also wants the government to implement it.

Still, the BJP has not implemented the Uniform Civil Code which would have stopped Congress-led governments’ discriminatory laws and policies by ensuring the same laws and same rights for all Indian citizens.

Path forward

The above-described discrimination does not exist against any section and any society in any other democratic country of the world.

This deplorable discrimination has crippled Hindu society; and has deeply damaged Hindu civilization which must be nurtured and nourished for its survival. But problems being faced by Hindu civilization are political problems that can be solved only politically.

Both Congress and BJP, the country’s main political parties, are Gandhian, pseudo-secular, status-quoist, and minority-appeasing. Other political parties either follow pseudo-secularism or have a negligible presence.

Thus, the choice before Indian voters is between the Congress Party’s leftist agenda and BJP’s leftist agenda.

Accordingly, the only way forward is that patriots must stop wailing; and must start forming a new and strong political party to implement the nationalist agenda. The new party would dismantle the leftist, divisive, and discriminatory pseudo-secular edifice.

This party would also fulfill the constitutional obligation of implementing the Uniform Civil Code as per Article 44 of the Indian Constitution. It would abolish the Ministry of Minority Affairs; and help all deserving Indian citizens irrespective of their religion.

In the non-discriminatory polity, there would be no concept of majority and minority as all citizens would be governed by the same laws, and would enjoy the same rights to transform India into a strong, equitable, really secular, united, and egalitarian nation.

And all this would ensure that the all-embracing Hindu civilization seeking happiness and welfare of entire humanity (“Sarve bhavantu sukhinah”) survives, and the nation’s hopes and dreams get fulfilled.

However, till such a political party is formed, people should oppose discriminatory laws and policies, and they should keep on requesting the government to implement a Uniform Civil Code to guarantee the same laws and same rights for all Indian citizens.

Remaining silent over this deeply damaging discrimination would be self-sabotage.

As per Eleanor Roosevelt’s terse statement, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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