Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 26: Caught off-guard over the Aam Aadmi Party seemed threatening to take the ultra-Hindutva stance suggesting the government to print images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh on the currency notes, the BJP scrambled to mount an offensive against the party and its leaders on Wednesday accusing them of having “abused” Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the past.
Sensing that the AAP could fill up much of the grounds lost by the Congress in Gujarat and pose a serious challenge to it in the prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state where the elections are due in a couple of months, the BJP is not taking chances in demolishing Arvind Kejriwal’s pro-Hindutva stance. Facing an aggressive AAP in Gujarat polls, BJP leaders admitted in private though that Kejriwal had hit a master stroke while on the back foot over certain remarks made by AAP leaders, which the BJP had attacked as “anti-Hindu”.
The BJP’s talking heads who took on AAP Wednesday included national spokesperson Sambit Patra, who listed “anti-Hindu” instances involving Kejriwal, and its Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, who called the AAP leader’s suggestion an “unsuccessful attempt” to hide his party’s “ugly anti-Hindu face” ahead of elections.
BJP leader and former Bihar minister Shahnawaz Hussain accused Kejriwal of trying to “sideline Mahatma Gandhi”, while its IT cell head Amit Malaviya dubbed him “a Hindu bigot”.
However, with the BJP past masters at the perception game, party leaders admitted that their words might mean little. A senior BJP leader said: “It’s true that Kejriwal has caught the BJP off guard. AAP wants to prove that it is not any of the things that the BJP accuses it of – such as being Left-liberal, anti-Hindu or urban Naxalite.” Plus, as the leader said, with such measures, Kejriwal “is trying to pitch himself and AAP right against the BJP and its leadership.”
Even while accusing Kejriwal of making “irresponsible suggestions,” some BJP leaders admitted that it had put the ruling party in a dilemma to prove itself to be the only pro-Hindu party. “Kejriwal does not have the responsibility of a national party, he can make any such irresponsible appeal. But the BJP has to counter it so as to defend its image as the pro-Hindu party.”
Among AAP’s “anti-Hindu” actions, Patra listed the ban on firecrackers by the Delhi government, AAP leader Rajendra Pal Gautam taking an oath denouncing Hindu gods and goddesses at a conversion event, and former AAP leader Tahir Hussain’s alleged involvement in the Delhi riots. Patra said while Gautam had stepped down as minister following the row, this was an “eyewash” as he remains in AAP.
Patra added: “The blessings of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi are already on India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his hard work and commitment. That is why India has risen to become the fifth largest economy in the world from 11th in the last decade.”
Manoj Tiwari also spoke about Gautam, as well as AAP Gujarat chief Gopal Italia whose old video has surfaced urging women to stay away from religious events as these were meant to subdue them. “All such leaders are still in the party,” Tiwari said, adding that Kejriwal, after protecting them, “is now trying to save his face in view of the elections”. “Without even a letter from you, we developed the Mahakal corridor (in Ujjain) and started Ram temple construction,” the BJP MP said.
Hussain asked if Kejriwal’s demand regarding currency notes was actually an attempt to replace Mahatma Gandhi’s image. It was, however, promptly replied by AAP leader who pointed out that he was neither seeking removal of Gandhiji’s image nor seeking replacement of the existing currency notes. The Delhi chief minister said he was not asking for a change in currency notes but was requesting new notes to include photos of Lakshmi and Ganesh. “Every day new currency notes are printed. These pictures can be added then,” Kejriwal said, adding that the two gods were associated with wealth and prosperity.
Giving an example of Indonesia, Kejriwal said, “Indonesia is a Muslim majority country and has only 2-3 per cent Hindus and they have Ganesh ji’s photo on their currency…When Indonesia can do why can’t we do it?” Kejriwal asked.
AAP has earlier too successfully blunted BJP attacks by changing the narrative. A probe against several of its leaders by investigative agencies, countering its image of an anti-corruption force, had been painted by AAP as a move against its successful education policy, forcing the BJP to counter it on this front.
Echoing their party chief, several other AAP leaders on Wednesday came out to demand that currency notes include photos of Lakshmi and Ganesh to bring “prosperity” to the country.
Hours after Kejriwal’s press conference, Greater Kailash AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted: “BJP has got so much hatred for Ma Lakshmi and Shri Ganesh that it is opposing putting their picture on Indian currency notes. This, even as no Muslim leader has opposed it so far. The Prime Minister should put the photos on currency notes as soon as possible.”
Kalkaji MLA Atishi, too, tweeted: “I want to say with folded hands in front of the BJP, do not oppose this proposal. This is not just Kejriwal ji’s proposal, but a proposal by all 130 crore countrymen. You hate Kejriwal ji, but why hate Lakshmi ji and Ganesh ji? Why hate the prosperity of the country?”
Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia also reiterated his comments on such pictures bringing “prosperity” to the country.
In addition to the BJP lashing out at Kejriwal and the AAP, Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit accused the Delhi chief minister and his party as “B-team of BJP and RSS. He doesn’t have any understanding. It is his vote bank politics. If he goes to Pakistan, he can also say that I am Pakistani, so vote for me.”
Kejriwal’s comments come ahead of elections in Gujarat, where the AAP is pushing to challenge the incumbent BJP and sweep out the Congress.
Asked how he came up with this idea/thought, Kejriwal said these feelings come to his mind when he was doing Diwali puja at his house. “We are all seeing that our economy is not recovering. We all want India to become a developed country; for that lots of work needs to be done but all efforts will only be successful when there will be gods’ and goddesses’ grace on us. Today, I appeal to the central government that our currency has a picture of Gandhi ji on one side, it should be kept as it is, but on the other side, pictures of Lakshmi ji and Ganesh ji should be included,” he said.
Lashing out at Kejriwal, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleged that AAP leaders have abused Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the past.
“Their (AAP) party leaders, the party’s Gujarat state unit president and AAP ministers have abused Hindu Gods and Goddesses and have said many things but they are still in their party. Now, what will they do in upcoming polls? So for their face-saving, they are coming up with new conspiracies. Those who objected to Ram Mandir have come with a new mask,” Tiwari said.