BJP optimistic about Modi govt again | Hindutva On Agenda
Many BJP insiders acknowledge that the party will not back down from its Hindutva campaign, even if it wins 370 seats, the number PM Modi has set. Comments regarding Kashi and Mathura have already been made.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was confident about securing a hat-trick in the next general elections as the 17th Lok Sabha drew to an end on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that his party would secure an increased majority in the Lok Sabha elections.
“Our third term will witness very big decisions, and will lay a strong foundation for the next 1,000 years,” Prime Minister Modi added in a statement to the House. His words hint at the ambitious agenda that the “Modi government 3.0” is anticipated to pursue while in office.
The completion of several of the BJP’s main ideological goals made the 17th Lok Sabha no less exciting. The BJP carefully planned and carried out the revocation of Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status. Other steps in this process included making triple talaq illegal and passing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019, the first year of the Modi government 2.0.
The Covid-19 pandemic that struck in early 2020 caused some of the administration’s planned projects to stall, but in its last year in office, the BJP government increased its efforts to change the law. In addition to passing three bills aimed at modernizing the nation’s criminal justice system—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill—it also passed the constitutional amendment legislation that granted women a 33% reservation in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies. These bills replaced the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, respectively, which were created during the colonial era. The party used political messaging with these legislative actions.
In Maharashtra and Bihar, the BJP experienced electoral or political setbacks; however, after securing a political realignment, it was able to regain control of these states. Meanwhile, the party’s triumphs in the Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan overshadowed these setbacks.
The BJP had to repeal the agriculture Bills and the CAA, which had caused nationwide protests that resulted in riots in the nation’s capital. However, the party has been able to retaliate by stepping up its rhetoric on ideological grounds. Because of its overwhelming numbers, the BJP does not need to soften its stance on this.
There have also been no significant legal obstacles for the BJP government to overcome. The Ram Temple was built as a result of the Supreme Court Constitution Bench’s majority ruling in the Ayodhya case, which is probably going to provide the party with long-term political capital.
Notably, the BJP does not have a majority in the Upper House, but it has yet managed to force all of its legislative proposals through the Rajya Sabha.
The party has now begun implementing its Uniform Civil Code (UCC) agenda, which dates back to its Jana Sangh days and is one of its original central ideological positions, along with Article 370. Other BJP-ruled states are expected to present the UCC Bill after it was recently cleared by the Uttarakhand Assembly.
The Modi government 3.0, according to the BJP’s senior brass, would prioritize significant changes to “lay the foundation for India’s glory for a millennium.” Simultaneously, the concluding session of the 17th Lok Sabha saw the ruling party raise the flag of Hindutva in anticipation of the elections. PM Modi was commended by the Chairs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for his “unparalleled role” in bringing the country together on the “auspicious occasion” of the Ram Temple’s dedication, which was a topic of discussion in both Houses. The PM claimed that if a resolution on it is adopted, future generations will have more reason to be proud of the nation’s principles because of the strength of the constitution.
Our government is about to enter its third term. Some refer to it as Modi 3.0. With confidence in his ability to win his third straight Lok Sabha election, he declared, “Modi 3.0 will use all of its might to strengthen the foundation of ‘Viksit Bharat’.”
A number of BJP insiders acknowledge that even if the party wins back 370 seats, which is PM Modi’s aim, the party would not ease up on its Hindutva campaign. The party’s platform, which has already begun promoting the slogan “Ayodhya taiyar hai, ab ki baar Kashi Mathura (Ayodhya is done, it is the turn of Kashi and Mathura now)”, will be greatly influenced by the pitch from its core constituency.
Many in the Sangh Parivar have been arguing that, similar to Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva also determine the identity of the nation, even if the RSS has not yet taken a position on the conflicts surrounding Kashi and Mathura.
