People's Democracy

EDITORIAL

BJP’s True Colours Exposed, Once Again

HAVING been caught, literally, in the act of distributing an obnoxious CD aimed at inflaming communal passions and spread of hatred against the Muslim community, the BJP is now seeking to wriggle out of the situation by feigning innocence! In its reply to the Election Commission notice seeking explanation as to why action should not be taken against BJP, under para 16 (A) of the Election Symbols Order, 1968, the BJP has claimed that “the impinged CD, which was not prepared by the party, but by some individuals, was put in the (media) kit by someone in the office”. The BJP claims that the party did not produce, prepare, display or distribute this obnoxious CD. “At best, it was a mistake and an unauthorised act of an individual member and not that of a political party”. 

For a party that had brazenly denied, in fact, justified the demolition of the Babri Masjid, such fabrications must be a child’s play. If all the above was true, how come that this CD was released as a part of a media kit in the presence of top leaders of the BJP like Lalji Tandon? Media reports suggests that the BJP’s claim in its reply to the Election Commission’s notice that the CD does not contain either the BJP’s name or that of the producer is yet again another fabrication. Read the following media report, “The cover on the CD shows the party’s `lotus’ in full bloom and the photographs of the BJP brass. It also carries the address of the party office in Lucknow and the name of its `producer’…. In both CDs senior leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L. K. Advani figure prominently” (The Hindu, April 6, 2007). 

Further, media reports suggest that this is not the first time that the BJP has distributed such inflammatory CDs. At the Lucknow National Executive/National Council in December 2006, the party officially released a similar CD as a part of the publicity material given to the media. According to reports, both these CDs showed graphic details that can in the least be mildly described as aiming at spreading the worst kind of communal poison. 

This being the case, it is clear that mere distancing from the present CD does not absolve the BJP’s culpability in openly violating the law of the land. Apart from violating the election code, the distribution of such “inflammatory material capable of creating enmity/hatred among different communities”, amounts to a violation of 153 (A), 153 (B) and 505 of the Indian Penal Code and clauses (3) and (3 A) of section 123 and section 125 of the Representation of the People’s Act. The BJP today, thus, attracts action under all these provisions. 

Suppose, even for a moment, that the BJP’s pleas of innocence are to be considered, then its credibility as a political party speaking the truth has always been, correctly so, grossly suspect. Even if one wishes to, so to speak, give the devil its due, then why does not the BJP publicly condemn the contents of the CD? Further, why doesn’t it offer a public apology for having “inadvertently” distributed this obnoxious CD? 

The BJP, as its wont, will surely refuse to offer such an apology once again exposing its complete lack of credibility. It shall refuse it because the RSS/BJP do not and cannot show any remorse for creating enmity and hatred between different religious communities. Communal polarisation based upon the spread of communal poison is the raison d’etre of its political existence. 

As noted in these columns repeatedly, the RSS/BJP have come to the considered conclusion that the only way that they can make political and electoral gains and to try and seek to regain their lost social support is through the whipping up of communal passions. Prakhar Hindutva is its political mascot in these UP elections. Such communal aggressiveness on its part, it hopes will only strengthen and consolidate its Hindu vote bank. This is vote bank politics of the worst kind – seeking electoral gains at the expense of our country’s unity and integrity and social harmony. 

All this shows clearly, once again, that the RSS/BJP pursue a vision for India’s future which is completely antithetical to the foundations of the secular democratic republic enshrined in our Constitution. There lies the grave danger.