BJP has a Hindutva plan for UP

The BJP in UP is preparing to serve a potion of Hindutva in the upcoming byelections, with firebrand Hindu leader and BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and the issue of “love jihad” as the main ingredients.

Party sources said that the Hindu hardliners in the BJP are now compiling details about incidents of “love jihad” in the past two years and will release it in a booklet form in the byelections. Incidents of “Muslim atrocities” on Hindus will also figure in the booklet. “The idea is to awaken the people about the threat to our cultural, social and religious ethos,” said a source. This despite denials of pursuing aggressive Hindutva from the party high command.

Mahant Adityanath, who has been named a star campaigner for the byelections, is known to be one of the biggest Hindu hardliners in the party and is currently in the midst of a controversy over a videoclip in which he is shown saying that for every one Hindu girl converted to Islam, he would convert 100 Muslims girls to Hinduism.

“‘ Love jihad’ will definitely be an issue in the byelections because it is striking at the roots of the Hindu community. Our

Hardliners are now compiling details about incidents of ‘ love jihad’ in the past two years and will release it as a booklet

girls are being targeted in an unethical manner and we cannot sit back and watch it all,” he said on Saturday. Mr Adityanath has always been known for his rather revolutionary views and firebrand speeches and his aggressive Hindutva policy has kept him at a safe distance from the BJP high com- mand till now.

“Not so anymore because the party high command has realised the power of Hindutva. In these elections, Hindus shunned caste barriers to vote for us and we need to address issues that concern them directly. It is because of that that Adityanath has been asked to lead the campaign because he knows what appeals to the Hindu heart,” said a senior party functionary.

Interestingly, barely a week ago, the state executive meeting of the BJP in Vrindavan was “directed” to drop the “love jihad” issue and to not include “radical” issues without consulting the party high command.

However, the setback that the BJP received in the recent byelections in Bihar and other states seems to have made the party change its strategy.

“In UP, the situation is already highly polarised because of the minority appeasement by the ruling Samajwadi Party and to survive in this atmosphere, we need to carry forward the Hindutva plank,” said a party functionary.

Union minister Kalraj Misra has also endorsed Mr Adityanath’s view that “love jihad” will be an issue in the byelections. “The issue concerns society and must be debated upon,” he told reporters.