Has PM Modi smelt the essence of the ground? Are Ram Mandir, Dhara 370 and Hindu-Muslim slogans not working in the desired direction?
Political thinkers analyze that the Ram Mandir, Dhara 370 and Hindu-Muslim slogans do not seem to be giving much positive results for the party and issues of ‘Kisan-Jawan Pahlwan’ (Farmers- Soldiers and Wrestlers) have eroded these ‘Ram Baan’ (Medication for every disease) slogans of BJP. And PM Modi has got this point. That is why, now he is focusing more on ‘Farmers- Soldiers and Wrestlers’ and denying any discrimination with the Muslim community.
“The day I start talking about Hindu-Muslim (in politics) will be the day I lose my ability to lead a public life,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi. “I will not do Hindu-Muslim. That is my resolve.” PM Narendra Modi made these remarks in an interview with CNN-News18.
Why Modi had to clarify his stand? What he had said? If he had said nothing provocative and hatred spreading, then why did the Samyukta Kisan Morcha had to demand the removal and prosecution of Prime Minister Narender Modi?
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers’ unions in India, in a press release on April 23,2024, had demanded removal from the PM post and prosecution of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged highly poisonous hate speech at Banswara in Rajasthan on 20th April 2024. SKM had alleged that the Prime Minister had accused all members of the main minority group of the country as ‘intruders’ without any substance is nothing but insanity that violates the secular constitution that ensures separation of state and religion in governance.
Whether PM Modi is really following his words expressed in the News-18 interview? Has he softened his words and not voicing in the manner in which he expressed himself in Rajasthan? Yes, some changes seem there. Now he is not directly bursting against any community, as was alleged earlier, but using the words — those doing ‘vote-jihad’.
On May 18, addressing a rally in Haryana, PM Modi alleged that Congress is solely focused on appeasement politics. The manifesto crafted by Congress resembles the entire Muslim League manifesto. Congress claims that they will conduct an X-ray of the public’s assets and then distribute those assets to those doing ‘vote-jihad’.
For wooing ‘Farmers- Soldiers and Wrestlers’, PM Modi has started to preach the steps taken by the BJP government for the benefit of these segments, who are annoyed with the party due to barbaric behavior of BJP government during farmers’ movement and dragging the wrestlers on Delhi roads.
PM Narendra Modi, while addressing public meetings in Ambala and Sonipat, Haryana on May 18, criticized the previous Congress government and highlighted various beneficial schemes for farmers in Haryana, initiated by the BJP government.
Modi highlighted that before 2014, the Congress-led government had purchased grains from farmers at MSP worth only ₹7.5 lakh crore. In contrast, during the 10 years of the Modi government, agricultural produce worth ₹20 lakh crore has been procured from farmers at MSP. Previously, farmers often faced delays in receiving payments, but now the funds are directly deposited into their bank accounts. Congress has only betrayed sugarcane farmers. Presently, the FRP for sugarcane stands at nearly ₹350 per quintal, while the Congress government used to offer around ₹210 per quintal.
Modi divulged that in 2014, when the BJP took office, the pending dues for sugarcane were approximately ₹60,000 crore. Contrastingly, this year, the government has cleared payments amounting to ₹1 lakh 14 thousand crore. Over ₹650 crore have been directly transferred to the accounts of farmers in Ambala, Karnal and Kurukshetra under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.
To show his government’s affinity towards sports and sportspersons, PM Modi claimed that after forming the government in 2014, the BJP government increased the sports budget threefold, encouraging the youth to play more and win more medals. Whether it’s building top-notch training centers in India or sending athletes abroad for training, the Modi government spares no expense in supporting athletes. Currently, thousands of athletes receive over ₹50,000 monthly under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) from the government. It is because of such initiatives, India has won the most Olympic medals to date, enhanced its reputation in the Asian Games and set records in university games. India is now striving to host the 2036 Olympics and soon, the nation will witness the first Olympics in India, with Haryana and Sonipat youth winning gold medals.
To fetch the votes of ex-servicemen from congress basket, PM Modi alleged that Congress betrayed our ex-servicemen. For fourteen years, they made empty promises about “One Rank One Pension,” and when they realized that Modi posed to be a significant challenge in 2013, Rahul Gandhi allocated a budget of ₹500 crores for it and held meetings with ex-servicemen in Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh, spreading confusion. “But we implemented ‘One Rank One Pension’. Their habit of lying is deeply ingrained. Our government fulfilled the promise of ‘One Rank One Pension’ with flying colors when given the opportunity to serve by the people. Everyone should know how Congress lies. Congress allocated ₹500 crores for OROP, but when the BJP government implemented it, more than ₹1 lakh 20 were allocated.”
But has the people forgotten the death of more than 700 farmers, stating the farmers as terrorists, dragging the wrestlers on Delhi roads and dashing the hope of unemployed youths, who were preparing themselves for joining the Indian forces, by implementing Agni Veer scheme?
Dr. Inderjeet Singh National Vice-President of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) says, “BJP election rallies being addressed by Modi and Amit Shah are hardly making any significant impact in the given isolation of BJP from the electorate in general and peasantry in particular.
There are reports that Modi’s moderately attended rally in Gohana two days ago failed even to boost the BJP workers morale let alone woo the farmers. It was only a gathering of people mobilized with the misuse of power with the help of private school buses.
In the backdrop of excesses done during farmers movement and the women wrestlers as well as other sections including police repression meted out to Sarpanches, scheme workers etc. in the recent past have not faded from the memories of people. Visit of Modi- Shah and other BJP leaders is not cutting ice and deter the electorate suffering from unemployment and acute price rise from punishing BJP cutting across caste /community considerations.”
R. C Punia, an RTI activist, career counselor and a former Gramin Bank Manager, who himself belongs to a farmer family, expresses, “As much as I have been able to know and have heard and talked to the farmers, based on their anger it can be said that most of the farmers in Haryana are now anti-BJP. In Bhiwani and Dadri, all the farmer organizations are campaigning against BJP in their own way. They are protesting vocally in Sirsa and Fatehabad. Protest is also going on in Bhiwani-Dadri. Ex-servicemen have also come together and announced their support to the Congress. The employees are separately causing harm to BJP. Thus, I do not think that the Modi-Shah duo will be able to do any magic. Everyone has made up their mind for change. The real situation will be known on June 4.”
Will ‘Kisan- Jawan- Pahalwan’ resentment darken the BJP’s fate?
To provoke the farmers against Congress Party and get sympathy of farmers, especially the ‘Jats’, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah during his visit to Haryana on 20th May, raised the issue of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
“Congress worked to insult the Vice President and son of a Jat farmer Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar who holds a constitutional post.”
Shah stated that the Congress only talks about the poor but does nothing for their welfare. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi talks about farmers but insulted Shri Jagdeep Dankar, a farmer’s son who is a representative leader for the Jat farmers.
But, whatever PM Modi or Amit Shah claim, the ground reality seems anti-BJP and the political observers conclude that the ‘Kisan- Jawan- Pahalwan’ issue is playing its major role to abstain the BJP from returning to power a third time. During farmers’ agitation death of more than 700 farmers, women wrestlers’ insult and curbing the employment chances for farmers’, especially the ex-servicemen’s, (as most of them prefer to send their wards in the Indian forces), next generation, the most affected areas of adjoining Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab are giving a bigger jolt to the BJP.
People who watch political games eagerly state that Rajasthan, which gave 25 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats to BJP in 2019 elections, presently seems to be snatching 8 to 10 seats from BJP. Haryana, where BJP won all the 10 seats in 2019, now indicates a reverse trend. In Punjab, where BJP got only 2 seats out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, now may dash to ground without any share of seats.
This is the picture of today, political situations change day to day, what shall be the final figure will come out on June 4. Let us wait for the day!
Jag Mohan Thaken is a Senior Journalist, Columnist & Political Analyst, views are personal
