JOIN USBJP resolves to tone down Hindutva line
On Sunday, the party, which is faced with internal squabbling and criticism from senior leaders, sought to reject the idea of Hindutva expressed in extreme forms and committed itself to equal treatment of all, regardless of their personal faith.
But the concluding day of the national executive witnessed heated exchange of words between Maneka Gandhi and two Muslim leaders — Shahnawaz Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi — on Varun Gandhi’s hate speeches and chief ministers cautioning leaders against ignoring the Muslims.
Introspection
Jolted by the blame game and internal bickerings, senior party leader L K Advani sought to crack the whip, calling for “introspection and not finger-pointing”.
In a veiled reference to the attacks by leaders like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, Advani said leaders and workers should feel there is an internal mechanism where even critical views can be placed.
However, in a bid to proclaim that it had not given up on the cause of Hindutva and to infuse a sense of commitment among its supporters, Advani said he will undertake another ‘yatra’ across the country.
“In order to let the cadres know both the opportunities and the tasks before us, I have decided to tour the entire country in the months to come. I shall be visiting all the states, and more than one place in some of the bigger states,” he said.
Inclusive outlook
The broad thrust of the resolution was on reviving Hindutva with an “inclusive” outlook. “It is inclusive, representing the finest imprints of our cultural and civilisational ideas. This profound concept is the real inspiration for a resurgent India with which the BJP is proud to be associated with,” the resolution said.
“This distinguishing feature”, besides the party’s “extraordinary governance”, sets it apart from the Congress and other political parties, the resolution said.
It said theocracy or any form of bigotry is alien to the BJP’s ethos. “Hinduism or Hindutva is not to be understood, construed narrowly or confined only to religious practices or expressed in extreme forms,” the party maintained. Admitting that the Lok Sabha poll results were below its expectations, the party said results in Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have proved that the people “trusted the BJP in a convincing manner”.
But there were some states where it could not win even a single seat, the resolution admitted.
“Obviously, there has been shortcomings, which the party needs to address. We have to acknowledge, identify and rectify these with a very open mind,” the resolution said, expressing confidence that the party, which has seen many ups and downs, “will certainly overcome it once again”.
The resolution said though the country has moved towards a bipolar polity, it did not subscribe to the view that regional parties have no place in national politics “or they are an obstacle to growth as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once observed”.
Asking workers to re-dedicate themselves, the resolution said “the BJP is a party with a mission of making India a great country that draws inspiration from its heritage and yet is modern in thinking”.