The RSS takes centre stage by setting the poll agenda as it renews efforts to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya
A few days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat pitched for a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya “at the earliest”, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met RSS joint general secretary Sah-sarkaryavah Krishna Gopal and other senior Sangh functionaries in a Lucknow resort on October 24. The meeting which lasted seven hours assumes significance with the presence of Amit Shah who is busy with elections in five states.
Sources say the session was focused on the preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but the Ram temple issue also prominently figured at the core group meeting. However, Krishna Gopal said that it was a routine RSS meeting with its affiliates and nothing more.
Sources confirmed that the RSS had discussed the Ram temple issue at the meeting. Along with Amit Shah and Adityanath, Keshav Maurya and Bhupender Yadav were present from the BJP’s side, while Dattatreya Hosabale from RSS along with Ramlal and Dr Krishna Gopal were also present.
During his annual Vijayadashami address at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur earlier last month, Bhagwat had upped the ante ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by renewing demands for building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya “at the earliest” with an “appropriate and requisite law” and slammed “fundamentalist forces” for obstructing the process.
In his 90-minute speech on Dussehra, Bhagwat had also cautioned against Urban Maoism and charged that it was propagating falsehood and spreading hatred in the society. His usage of the term coined by the government suggested that the RSS and BJP are on the same page ahead of 2019.
Bhagwat also described Lord Ram as an “icon of India” who does not belong to any community.
“The Ram temple must be constructed at the earliest at Ramjanmbhoomi. It should not be delayed any more. The decision should be taken at the earliest. We say the government should bring legislation and construct Ram temple. Whatever steps would be taken by sants in this regard, we will stand by them,” he said.
“Lord Ram does not belong to any community. He is not about Hindus and Muslims. He is an icon of India. His temple must be constructed, be it any way. The government should bring legislation.”
Bhagwat’s remarks assume significance against the backdrop of the Supreme Court deciding to begin hearing the title suit of the Ayodhya dispute from October 29. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also decided to launch a mass campaign in favour of building a temple.
The RSS chief said a place was yet to be allotted for construction of the temple although all kinds of evidence have affirmed that there was a temple at “that place”.
There may be many reasons for the renewal of demands to build the temple. Many view this as the last resort by the party and the sangh before elections to consolidate the Hindu vote at a time when the economy is not doing too well.
Another reason could be the likelihood of the BJP not being getting majority on its own in the Lok Sabha in 2019 and having to rely on some of its allies who may not be willing to endorse the temple construction fearing alienation of minorities.
The BJP cannot be too confident about its performance after losing successive bypolls for the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly to candidates jointly put up by arch rivals Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Former VHP leader Pravin Togadia has also jumped into mainstream politics by launching Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad and repeatedly criticising the BJP for letting down Hindus on the temple issue.
“The people who swore in the name of Ram temple have managed to make a Rs 500-crore office for themselves in New Delhi, while Lord Ram continues to live under the open sky, in a tent,” he said recently.
The former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader said the time has come for him to field candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to defeat the “anti-Hindu forces”.
“We will contest the 2019 general elections and our entire focus would be to reclaim Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura” and change their landscape forever, he added.
Party sources said that the BJP leadership is also worried about the strident position taken by Hindutva leaders such as Togadia and ally Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who are taunting the BJP and the central government for the delay in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, has also upped the ante and its chief is even visiting Ayodhya soon.
Even though the RSS chief reiterates that the sangh is apolitical, he has recently advised people to vote wisely and specifically urged them not to exercise the None of the Above or NOTA option as it helps undeserving candidates. Despite months of speculation that perhaps all was not well between the RSS and the BJP, Bhagwat’s recent comments leave no doubt that the RSS will support the BJP government.
The BJP and the RSS both share a symbiotic relationship, each helping the other when required. The Modi government’s image as a mascot of Hinduism helps the sangh to popularise and propagate its agenda while the sangh mobilises its cadre to support BJP when needed. The sangh, which was isolated politically for many years, now also enjoys more visibility and a larger audience with the BJP in the Centre.
The renewal of the Ram temple issue just before elections also hints at the growing insecurity that the BJP government may not be able to win the Lok Sabha polls purely on its performance over the past four years. While there is little in the present economic scenario to cheer about, an emotive issue like Ayodhya can help strike a cord among voters and lead to a win in 2019.
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