Bhagwat says for “Bharat to become ‘Vishwaguru’ social harmony is a prerequisite and social harmony cannot be there if Hindus keep looking for a “Shivling under every mosque” Bhagwat conveniently forgot that the Sangh Parivar was the one which fanned the ‘Mandir-Masjid’ fire for decades.

Also, didn’t Prime Minister Modi go all out fueling ‘Hindu-Muslim’ acrimony during the run-up to the 2024 general election? Modi is okay with dividing the electorate. Now, he is a master of social and religious bonhomie. What to make of Modi-ji, what does he want? On Sunday, Modi delivered yet another ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and it was another sermon.

This one about the Prayagraj ‘Maha Kumbh’, which he renamed the ‘Maha Kumbh of Unity’. BJP spokespersons kept parroting ‘Maha Kumbh of Unity this ad infinitum all of Sunday. The Prime Minister is known for rhyming slogans and he coins them while on the move from an endless queue of them.

When does PM Modi get the time to coin slogans is an enduring mystery, but the one about ‘Maha Kumbh’ has the unenduring message of ridding the country of hate and division, a recurring theme in Modi-speak. How many people remember Modi’s slogans the morning after is hard to guess, the moot point is Modi believes in them.

Those habituated to Modi’s ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ are diehard ‘Modi-bhakts’. On December 29, Modi called the upcoming Prayagraj ‘Maha Kumbh’ as the “Mahakumbh of Unity” and urged listeners to be at the ‘Mahakumbh’ and leave the world’s largest religious gathering with the slogan “Mahakumbhkasandeshek ho puradesh.”

This, even as hoardings all over Maha Kumbh were saying ‘Darengetohmarenge’, a play on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Batengetohkatenge’ which made Prime Minister Modi coin ‘Ekhaintoh Safe hain,’ with which Modi attempted to assure Muslims they were part of his unity call. Is Prime Minister Modi a sucker for corny slogans?

He does swear by ‘Unity in Diversity.’ “Such a scene of unity in diversity cannot be seen anywhere else in the world,” Modi said. “Mahakumbh’sspeciality lies not just in its vastness but also in its diversity…This time's Maha Kumbh will also bolster the mantra of Maha Kumbh of unity…when we participate in the Kumbh, let us bring along this resolve of unity with us – MahakumbhKaSandesh, Ek Ho PooraDesh.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be helped in his quest for unity in diversity by Ai technology, which will help Kumbh participants find their bearings in the ‘Maha Kumbh’ mish-mash. What Modi did not say in his monthly ‘Mann kiBaat’ was that Modi’s quest for unity can’t go anywhere if he doesn’t make clear what sort of unity does Modi want – Hindu-Muslim unity or a consolidation of Hindu votes by uniting Hindus alone?

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is by far more straightforward, Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes promises but mostly ends up unfulfilling them as he balances false equivalences. Now, there is also RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat adding his voice to the confusion by asking Hindus to stop looking for Shivlings under every mosque, which is his idea of “unity in diversity” and "social harmony".

The problem is, there is a churning in the Hindu community and things have gotten out of Modi’s and Bhagwat’s hands. Bhagwat is more or less isolated, if Prime Minister Modi wants to survive isolation, there are promises to keep. The Supreme Court wants the Modi Government to make its stand on the Places of Worship Act, 1991 clear in four weeks' time.

The question is, was Mohan Bhagwat speaking for PM Modi when he said, “Don’t look for a Shivling under every mosque”? Does that mean, Modi’s affidavit to the Supreme Court will let the contentious Places of Worship Act, 1991, stay? If so, Modi’s days as Prime Minister might be numbered. (IPA Service)