Has Rahul turned into BJP’s asset?
The immaturity, unwillingness to learn from his mistakes and bad copywriters for former Congress president Rahul Gandhi are the root cause for the party’s decimation from the national political canvas. Many Gandhi loyalists may want people to believe it was Rahul’s Sankalp Yatra that helped the Congress win Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka elections, which is nothing short of absurdity.
If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to break the jinx of winning a second term in Himachal Pradesh which has become an established practice by that state voters, then the withdrawal of four per cent reservations to Muslims as well as the ‘hijab’ restriction ordinance in educational institutions were the principal factors that led to the party’s debacle in Karnataka. Muslims in that state en masse voted for the Congress, even dumping former Prime Minister Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) party. This is based on the indisputable fact that the BJP could retain its vote share, but might have lost a few seats.
This single factor has helped Congress romp home with a massive majority and certainly not their so-called ‘guarantees’ which anyway are unimplementable and this is evident from the dissent being shown by the people post-poll. Hence, those dreaming of similar Congress victory in Telangana are living in a fool’s paradise. Muslims are unlikely to get swayed by the Congress’ guarantee of allocating Rs 7,000 crore annually for the community’s welfare because the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government has done more than any of its counterparts in other states by spending upwards of Rs 12,000 crore during the nine-year rule.
Moreover, what many right-thinking people can’t understand is how the Congress will honour its guarantees, which run into crores, when the state coffers are empty and the BRS government is finding it difficult to pay salaries and pensions on time. It even faulted on paying its welfare schemes to beneficiaries.
Added to that is a whopping Rs 4 lakh crore external debt hanging like a Damocles sword on the government.
It may be true that the K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) government is facing a strong anti-incumbency for a variety of reasons, which include imposing the family rule on the state, massive corruption, short-sighted economic and welfare policies, that dried up the exchequer.
Yet, should the state electorate opt for the so-called national party, which destroyed the nation during its 60-year rule at the Centre? Yes, with its divisive politics to make Hindus minorities in as many as five Indian states? What is the guarantee that if the Congress is voted to power in the state, it will not bring back the Razakar days of the last Nizam? If one has to believe the latest statistics, the Muslim population has multiplied phenomenally in the state from a mere nine per cent to 20-25 per cent, which is not only alarming but also posing a threat to the existence of majority Hindus in years to come. One could see the brazenness of the Owaisi brothers, holding out threats to even the law and order enforcing authorities.
Added to that, one should also look at the frustration of Congress leaders like Rahul, who is going ballistic against the Hindu faith by asking ‘Who is Bharat Mata’ or humiliating Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his ‘panauti’ (bad omen) jibe. This, when the Prime Minister enjoying a massive mandate and become the tallest leader among the world’s who is who on the popularity chart, besides leaders of the developed nations looking at India to solve issues the world is facing.
Having said that, the Congress’ ‘prime ministerial’ candidate and its so-called ‘star campaigner’ Rahul is doing more harm than good to the age-old party. The Congress’ senior leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyer, Digvijay Singh and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge are damaging their image by abusing Modi day in and day out.
On the other hand, the BJP and Modi appear quite happy to be abused by Rahul and his boot-lickers, as it turns out to be advantageous to them in election after election. Yes, from ‘Maut ki saudagar’ remark of Sonia Gandhi during the 2009 Gujarat Assembly polls to ‘neech and chaiwala’ of Kapil Sibal before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to ‘Chaukidar chor hai’ before 2019 polls by Rahul, all helped the rightist BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to improve its tally in the Lok Sabha. Well, Congressmen may turn back and question some of the BJP leaders’ unparliamentary remarks, including that of Modi’s recent remark ‘Murkhon ka sardar’. Yet, none of them is helping the Congress, as the electorate is indeed unperturbed knowing well the track record of that party
Against that backdrop, if the people of Telangana wish to seek a change, then they should vote other than the ruling BRS and Congress as both are two sides of the same coin competing to serve a particular minority community, at the expense of other minorities like the Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and others. As a responsible journo and strong advocate of nationalism am of the opinion that the Telangana electorate whose forefathers might have seen the atrocities perpetrated on them by the last Nizam’s private army Razakars should vote more carefully and decisively, this time around.
Instead of falling prey to the ‘guarantee’ lures. Moreover, the backward communities, who form around 50 per cent, should think twice before casting their votes, considering the BJP’s promise of making one of their member’s chief ministers if the party is voted to power. Such an opportunity unlikely to come their way in future, as many of us have seen how the minority affluent communities have ruled Andhra Pradesh since its formation in 1956 and after the bifurcation of Telangana. Else, they may have to regret it for long.
