BJP sends a positive message to minorities

Invoking Sangh Parivar ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay, the BJP on Sunday sent a positive message to dalits, minorities and marginalised from Kozhikode and in a way spelt out its strategy for the coming Assembly elections in key states, including Uttar Pradesh. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted at the party’s national council Mr Upadhyay’s remarks where he had said that Muslims should not be treated as “items of vote market” but treated as our own, BJP president Amit Shah said the organisation as well as the Central government would follow the mantra of “antodaya” and “integral humanism” by Upadhyay to implement the “garib kalyan” agenda for all. Mr Modi spoke at length about secularism, balanced and inclusive growth and need for electoral reforms while paying tributes to Upadhyay on his 100th birth anniversary. Among the states which will be going to polls next year, UP, Punjab and Gujarat have a significant dalit, SC/ST population and Muslim population. Even in Kerala, where the BJP unsuccessfully contested earlier this year, minorities are in large number.

The political resolution passed at the BJP’s national council also talked about developing the “spirit of equality, freedom and dignified life,” ending “disparities faced by the dalit,” bringing “SCs/STs into the mainstream of development” and “all classes must get equal access to means, privileges and opportunities for individuals.” It boldly stated working to “end discrimination and disparities among various sections of the society” and infusing the “sense of integrity in the whole nation.” After its recent electoral wins and becoming the “largest political organisation in the world,” the BJP has been strategising to turn its numerical strength into electoral gains.

The party resolved to tread the path shown by Upadhyay and work towards “realising the dream of a developed and just India, where even the poorest of the poor would be taken care of. “Kicking off year-long celebrations of Upadhyay’s birth anniversary, the BJP decided to celebrate the year as the year of the “welfare of the downtrodden.”

The BJP also used the platform to blame the Opposition Congress and Left (which is currently leading the coalition government in Kerala) ideologies for failing to deliver a “just and judicious governance” in the country.

It also tried to blame the Congress and its policies for “poor becoming poorer” in rural areas and dalits,backwards and economically weaker sections lives reduced to living in slums in urban areas. Facing flak over dalit issues, the BJP also blamed Congress for the disparities faced by the community and pledged to work for promoting social harmony to achieve social justice for the marginalised sections.

Quoting Upadhyay’s “Charaiveti Charaiveti (keep moving)” slogan, the resolution asked party leaders to resolve to work for the national interest. It also mentioned how BJP led government, in states and the centre are known for corruption free governance and stressed that for achieving social justice “all classes must get equal access to means, privileges and opportunities for individuals.”

“To end all social disparities so as to establish an egalitarian society and to bring the SCs and STs into the mainstream development, the BJP will promote sense of social harmony this year so that social justice could be rendered to the marginalised sections,” it said.

The BJP also tool resolve that in the centenary year of the party ideologye, “in place of clash between various ideas and classes in the country, an aspiration for equality shall thrive across the nation” and social discipline would be “popularised along with individual liberty.”