Implying an impending twist of electoral narrative by Modi and Singh, these allegations also point to stimulation of religious identity politics, practically BJP’s core strength. Rajnath Singh had come to Bengal to seek votes for his leader Modi for installing him as the prime minister for the third consecutive term, even though Singh’s emphasis was on formation of BJP government in the eastern state. Assertion of Hindu identity and politics of communal polarisation are entwined. There is a razor thin difference.

Realising that Modi’s initial attempt to blow up the identity narrative may boomerang, the saffron mandarins have now resorted to politics of threat and coercion. While Rajnath Singh blatantly issued the threat, Modi tried to hide his intentions behind the narrative of mangalsutra.

While scholars and academics often try to equate identity politics with caste, it is a constricted approach. In the existing socio-political scenario, it has come to symbolise the communal and religious orientation of the Indian population and its majority identification with the Hindutva narrative.

Notably, revelation of caste identity is often an instrument to counter the hegemonic communal and religious identity, which is basically rightist and revisionist in nature. Blowing up the identity issue is yet another devious but measured device of Modi and RSS to check the erosion of their support base. RSS and Modi know it well that the demand for conducting caste census and providing equal opportunity has definitively dented its communal Hindutva plank. This was evident in the low percentage of votes cast in the first phase.

Modi and RSS cannot use refusal of caste census as an instrument to terrorise the voters. But the voters could be terrorised by directly issuing a threat, as was done by Rajnath, or an indirect way projecting a bleak and insecure future for the Hindus, especially Hindu women. It is widely known that RSS and BJP are against caste census as it would divide the Hindu community horizontally. All the monumental effort of RSS to bring the Dalits, OBC and EBC under the singular Hindu would go to waste.

A closer look at the remarks of both the leaders, Modi and Singh, makes it amply clear that they have been targeting Muslims. From the day the Sandeshkhali incident took place, BJP leadership has been projecting it as an assault on Hindu women by Muslim goons. The reason was simple; the prime actor in the incident was a person with a Muslim name, Shahjahan.

One would like to know from Rajnath, why he maintained ominous silence when the non-Hindu women in Manipur were molested and their modesty outraged by goons owing allegiance to the saffron ecosystem. Or, why his political boss, Modi, did not deign to visit Manipur. Till date, he has not ventured to visit the strife-torn northeastern state ruled by Rajnath’s own party. Where was his moral conviction and commitment to protect the modesty and dignity of the Manipuri women? Did he prefer to maintain silence simply for the reason that in Manipur, Hindu goons were attacking Kuki women?

Priyanka Gandhi has been politically correct in seeking to know: “Modi didn’t think about the mangalsutra of the wife of a Manipuri jawan who was stripped naked. Today, he’s talking about women only for votes. He should be ashamed for trying to scare you to win some votes.” Like his political boss Modi, Rajnath must refrain from terrorising and spreading fear among people by telling them that the Congress would not spare the mangalsutra of Hindu women if it comes to power.

It is a fact that Rajnath does not have a chequered political career. It is really surprising how could a senior BJP Union minister, who cannot even become the leader of Rajputs of entire Uttar Pradesh, can vouch to represent the aspirations of the entire Hindu population across the country. Yet another question that Modi and Rajnath ought to reply: “How many more elections would you fight based on the Hindu-Muslim narrative?” Since both these leaders claim to be the peoples’ leaders, they should come before the people of the country and talk about what’s really plaguing the nation: inflation, shaky market economy, unemployment, poverty, etc.

Both these leaders must explain what their government actually did in the last 10 years. Their ostrich-like attitude towards the issues that haunts common people, is really scary. With the intent to push development issues into the backburner and polarise the Hindus for obvious political gains, Modihas been deliberately lying. He knows it well that when Congress was in power, it did not give separate reservation to Muslims by breaking into the quota for Dalits, tribals and the backward classes. But even then he continues to harp on the fraudulent accusation. Campaigning from inside a temple, Modi accused the Congress of trying to give reservations to Muslims by reducing the quota of Scheduled Castes, a blatant lie.

Modi’s shrill tone after the first phase is also a manifestation of party cadres and traditional BJP backers turning averse and not willing to work for a third consecutive term for the strongman. Meanwhile, a well-placed source said that a huge section of the RSS cadres and ground level leaders have already conveyed to the RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale that they would not undertake electioneering for the BJP leaders.

These sources maintain that at least in two states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the RSS cadres have withdrawn and in some areas they have also extended support to the candidates of other parties. It will certainly dent Modi’s vote share, but by how much will remain to be seen. (IPA Service)