Politics is a strange thing and it makes people change overnight. To take on the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls in three states and the 2019 general elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has now become a “devout Hindu” visiting temples in every nook and cranny of India and now peddling soft Hindutva. However, this is alienating people from the party. In the Sabarimala case in Kerala, it is interesting to see Congress joining forces with BJP to stop women from entering the temple contrary to the Supreme Court order. That is only one side of the coin. On the obverse is the fact that Congress is also sidelining its prominent Muslim leaders from campaigning in these states fearing that they may alienate Hindu voters.

Latest in the list is Congress senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad. He stoked a controversy by saying that Hindu leaders don't call him for campaigning anymore because of the fear of losing votes. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister made this statement while addressing a gathering of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) alumni in Lucknow. Earlier Congress’ senior leader and MP Shashi Tharoor embarrassed the party by saying that Hindus will never want to build a temple at a place where another religious site has been destroyed. Distancing itself from Tharoor, the top leadership said that he has given this statement in his personal capacity and what he said is not the official version of the party. But it is interesting, the Congress under Rahul Gandhi is yet to take a stand whether a temple should be built at Ayodhya or not. It was also silent when many Muslim village names were changed in Rajasthan a few months back.

In order to peddle its soft Hindutva image without any hindrance, former Madhya Pradesh CM and senior politician Digvijaya Singh has been completely sidelined from campaigns because he has in the past raised contentious issues like Hindu terror.  However, with the recent alleged ‘anti-Hindu’ remarks made by senior party leaders and the absence of a clear stand on the Ram Mandir issue, the Congress may find it very difficult to convince the Hindu voters who are largely supporters of BJP.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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