BJP’s stance will be key in Gyanvapi row

The rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the tumultuous 80s and 90s owed its fuel to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, specifically LK Advani’s controversial rath yatra that whipped up communal emotion, gave the party a grassroots cadre base and provided an ideological ballast to weather the churn of the Mandal era.

Recent efforts by some Hindu groups to “reclaim” temple land that they believe was usurped by Islamic rulers in Varanasi and Mathura may resemble the template set by the legal proceedings of the Ayodhya dispute but lack a crucial element: Political mobilisation and widespread movement. Comments by BJP chief JP Nadda on Monday underlined this difference when he appeared to distance the party from the legal disputes and said that the BJP had decided to respect the court’s order in letter and spirit. He added that the party had not passed any resolution in this matter, hinting that it will refrain from political mobilisation, at least for now.

The BJP is the national political hegemon today, and no longer requires the recognition that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement brought in the heartland. Letting the courts decide this sensitive matter, for now, is the more politically prudent course. Yet, this is unlikely to be the last word on the issue. Some sections of the party are supportive of the KashiMathura movements. Moreover, it is likely that the Centre will have to decide its stand on the 1991 Places of Worship Act, which is at the heart of the legal dispute. Whether it decides to stay passive or become a supporter of what some elements in its coalition see as a Hindu revival moment will shape Indian politics.