EDITORIAL 

Vajpayee’s Umpteenth Flip Flop

STILL grappling with the reasons for his party and NDA’s resounding defeat in the recent elections, the former prime minister has now suddenly come to the conclusion that the Gujarat riots were the cause.  Few days earlier, while addressing the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting, he said the NDA’s defeat had little to do with the communal carnage in Gujarat.  This is nothing new for Mr. Vajpayee.  On every important issue, he has always spoken with a forked tongue.  Even on Gujarat, such double-speak is not new.  While  visiting Ahmadabad  while the State-sponsored communal genocide was in progress, Vajpayee described the violence as shameful. Yet, a few weeks later, at the BJP conclave in Goa, he accused the Muslim community as being responsible for triggering violence in Gujarat!

Apart from the flip flop mental frame of Vajpayee, a fact that clearly stands out is that the BJP/RSS is yet to reconcile in accepting the people’s mandate.  Worse, they seem to be harbouring illusions of creating instability for the Manmohan Singh government and seeking to return to power even before the mandated term of the present government ends.  This was amply clear when Vajpayee thundered that he will not be sitting in the opposition benches in the Parliament for full five years.  The belligerence displayed by the BJP and the NDA in not allowing  the government  formed on the basis of the people’s verdict  from functioning became evident in the first session of the 14th Lok Sabha itself.  Never in independent India’s history has the address of the President been adopted by the Lok Sabha without a discussion.  The BJP/NDA did not permit any discussion and continuously disrupted the  Lok Sabha’s proceedings.

If the strident defence of Narendra Modi that came from the RSS/VHP denouncing Vajpayee’s comments is any indication, then the belligerence will also find expression in fomenting communal disturbances.  Refusing to accept the people’s verdict, the RSS/BJP will seek to stoke the fires of communal passion. Thus, once again, putting their own political ambitions above the interests of the country and its social harmony, the RSS is bound to engage itself in such dangerous anti-national activities.

While the BJP may take its time to comprehend the reasons for its comprehensive defeat, it is necessary to realise that amongst many other things, this people’s verdict was a celebration of India’s diversity.  It is precisely this diversity that the RSS/BJP negates. It is precisely this negation that makes the RSS/BJP not only dangerous for our country’s unity and integrity but also propels them to resort to desperate actions  in order to return to power.

If the people’s mandate has to be respected, then the RSS/BJP/NDA machinations will have to be continuously rejected.  This is the call for all Indian patriots.