The fear of 'truth' and Modi delivering a 'new look' to Varanasi has compelled Akhilesh Yadav to claim that the corridor project was his idea. This was from a party that felt it was a virtue to insult Hindus. Rahul Gandhi has only helped the BJP in yet another poll season.
New Delhi: When the farmers' stir was instigated by all and sundry in the anti-Modi brigade, the intent was not sacrosanct. Everything was political about it.
It was a build-up to the polls in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh – especially with ill intent. Even pro-Khalistani elements were given 'space' in selected quarters, especially in a specific variety of media and social media. The campaigners ensured even a few tweets from foreign soil with or without merits.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi – much of an ear-on-ground leader – played his card well in November, punctuating it with political risk and making a personal compromise. He was strongly batting for the many essential farm reforms. But, now that the laws have been repealed and the farmers have gone back, there is 'sadness' in those very camps that grossly found 'abusing and instigating' the Indian farmers.
Had the political class shown a remote sense of unity and sanity, the agitation in Singhu would not have turned so gory and lengthy.
Now, the anti-Modi camp realises that Prime Minister and his team played yet another googly and ensured an end to the stir. It exposed the Congress and other opposition parties, especially the 'crocodile-shedding' communists. Modi himself rightly calls these collectively 'an ecosystem'.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP, was humbled in Amethi in UP and passively took political shelter in Marxists-stronghold Kerala. He has abandoned farmers' issues and shown a nervous hurry plunging into "I am Hindu" rhetoric. His oneliner and the timing are aimed at countering Mamata Banerjee's "There is no UPA" assertion.
Varanasi-based political analyst Tushar Bhadra feels that the Congress leader has made a mistake and instead has ended up helping up the BJP. "The theme of Rahul Gandhi's speech at Jaipur should have been farmers' issue on a day farmers were returning home. Instead, he raked up a debate on Hinduism," he says caustically.
Others are drawing more important lessons. "Don't forget a large number of farmers are Hindus and religious or the Hindu pride does matter to them also," said one of them.
Rahul Gandhi gave BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya an opportunity to share the video that shows Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, declaring that the country's resources should first go to Muslims.
This is what's called polarisation politics. The counter to this is not 'communalism'; it is the assertion of the majority of Indians. And here, they see hope, and the only leader to take them along is Narendra Modi.
BJP's chief strategist and Home Minister Amit Shah did not miss the opportunity and told a large gathering of devotees of Umiya Mata and the Patidar community in Ahmedabad that since 2014, the Hindus have had reasons to feel satisfied and proud. Shah reminded people how the Prime Minister had given the majority of Hindus a "sense of renewed pride". The Home Minister said Hindus are now "without fear-Bhay-vegar", easily reminding them of their past under Mughal and other Muslim rulers – always glorified by the Congress and the Leftists are known to destroy Hindu temples.
Ultimately, the political developments in the last few days have left the Modi detractors shaken. Their apprehension is that the Prime Minister and his party may turn the table and again reduce all their 'negative politics of instigation' as an inconsequential one in the electoral battle.
The fear of 'truth' and Modi and the BJP delivering a total 'new look' Varanasi has also compelled Akhilesh Yadav to claim that the Varanasi corridor project was his government's idea. This comes from a party that did not mind throwing insults on Hindus at every given opportunity.
Did you notice that the 'sickular-messiah' Mamata Banerjee sensed the mood well? There are indications now that the Trinamool Congress may not contest the UP polls.
The Modi government has already won Hindu hearts by starting construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir-that gave a so-called special status enjoyed to the terrorism-hit province. The next in line project is the 'return' of the Kashmiri pandits!
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