A tale of two R-Days: Mandir, Modi, Macron, and more

As Lord Ram returned to his purported birthplace in a much-celebrated event helmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this week saw another epic play out politically, with the Union Budget around the corner and the Lok Sabha elections on the horizon.

Preparations for the inauguration of the Ram mandir had taken off months in advance and reached a crescendo prior to January 22, with several Opposition parties boycotting the event amid roaring support from the Sangh Parivar, Modi followers, and devout Hindus alike.

Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya, a celebratory moment for the Modi-led BJP, was followed by more moments of euphoria for the saffron party—former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, as if inspired by Lord Ram’s saga, hastily announced his return to the saffron fold, while Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had been touted as one of the potential candidates to lead the I.N.D.I.A bloc, is said to be mulling the same.

If that wasn’t enough in a week of wins for the BJP, fissures also appeared in the I.N.D.I.A bloc, with the Congress-led Opposition grouping getting snubbed in Punjab and West Bengal.

Parallelly, Rahul Gandhi continued his march in Assam, despite multiple hurdles, but his time in the northeastern state came to a messy end with the registration of an FIR against him on the orders of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The events mentioned above merely scratch the surface of this week’s political epic, which we will be delving into momentarily.

Ram ke Naam (?!)

‘Balak Ram’, as the deity in Ayodhya has been named, was yanked out of his divine bubble and became an unwitting participant in earthly politics this week, with members of the Modi government and the Opposition going at each other’s throats over their allegiance (or lack thereof) towards Lord Ram.

The political mud-slinging, which began from the day the consecration ceremony date was announced, reached its zenith this week, culminating in a furious war of words between Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Tamil Nadu government over the alleged banning of special events related to the consecration ceremony in the southern state. While Sitharaman railed against “repression”, something echoed by Governor R N Ravi, the DMK govt hit back, with CM M K Stalin accusing the Finance Minister and the Modi govt of spreading “blatant lies” to tarnish the image of the state.

Ram Rajya wasn’t built in a day

With major Opposition parties including the Congress, TMC, AAP, and others skipping the Ram mandir consecration ceremony and thereby eliminating distractions, all eyes fell on chief ‘yajman’ PM Modi, whose solemn face was plastered all over the news, overtaking that of the protagonist—Balak Ram.

Never one to let an opportunity for political messaging slide, PM Modi, in a carefully-crafted speech during the consecration event, referenced multiple characters from the Ramayana, which appeared to be a veiled attempt to further the BJP’s agenda of consolidating votes from various sections of society, including tribals and backward classes. “It is everyone's efforts that will form the foundation for a grand India,” the PM reminded the eager crowd, in a message not just aimed at promoting inclusivity, but at garnering votes a few months down the line.

Unsurprisingly, the PM’s messaging on January 22 wasn’t limited to mythological references but also floated the very concrete dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’ or a developed India, a culmination of Modi’s promises since 2014 that the BJP has made a poll plank for this year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Days later, PM Modi launched the BJP’s poll campaign from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, saying, “Modi ko chunavi bugle bajane ki jaroorat nahin hai … janata Modi ke liye aisa karti hai (Modi does not need to sound poll bugle...the people do it for Modi).”

Trouble in paradise

As the sun rose over a new Ayodhya, made divine by Lord Ram’s presence, darkness set in over I.N.D.I.A.

Formed with the hopes of mounting a (serious) challenge to the Modi govt, the I.N.D.I.A bloc’s dreams suffered a major setback this week, with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and the AAP snubbing the Congress-led grouping with regard to seat-sharing in Bengal and Punjab.

Not to be easily dissuaded, the Congress was quick to extend an olive branch to the mercurial Mamata, but it remains to be seen whether the TMC supremo, who has long been at odds with the grand old party, is swayed.

However, the shock of rejection in Bengal and Punjab paled in comparison to what lay in store for the I.N.D.I.A bloc—a day after getting snubbed in the two states, the grouping was confronted with the possibility of JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar jumping ship to the NDA.

No stranger to switching sides, Nitish, if reports are to be believed, is poised to join the saffron tide, despite assurances from the JD(U) that they remain firmly committed to the Opposition grouping. While nothing is assured in politics, developments around Nitish’s political future are likely to keep the nation (and the Opposition) on their toes in the weeks to come.

A bumpy road

Amid the buzz surrounding the Ram mandir consecration, Rahul Gandhi’s reprise of the earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra largely went under the radar this week … till it didn’t. 

Incensed by what he termed as speeches to incite people, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma engaged in a (verbal) clash of epic proportions with the (not so) ‘young’ Congress leader, an episode that ended with the registration of a case against Rahul.

Assuring people that Rahul would be arrested after the Lok Sabha polls, Himanta launched a broadside against the Congress leader, accusing him of using a body double and of inciting tensions in the state. Not to be outdone, ‘Pappu’, as he was lovingly christened by the BJP, hit back at the fiery Sarma, calling him the ‘most corrupt CM’.

Leaving Assam after eight days of drama, the yatra also entered Bengal this week, where the Congress’ tensions with the TMC hit a new high on the back of Mamata’s refusal to share seats in the eastern state.

Modi hai toh … Macron hai?

In a week where Lord Ram returned home, Emmanuel Macron returned to India, marking his third trip to the country since PM Modi assumed power.

While the Modi government had initially extended an invitation to United States President Joe Biden, the 81-year-old turned down the offer, presumably because of strained bilateral ties amid US claims that Indian agents were involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

Meanwhile, back on Indian soil, Macron received a grand welcome and was accompanied by Modi as they paraded through Jaipur in a resplendent roadshow that ended with bilateral talks and the framing of long-term goals for the two nations that recently bolstered defence ties with the sealing of a deal for multiple Rafale jets manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault.

Modi and Macron also presided over the 75th Republic Day parade on Friday that showcased India’s growing military and technological might, and the French President wrapped up his visit with the inking of agreements on bilateral cooperation in myriad sectors, including defence, aerospace, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Behind the scenes

Shrouded from the limelight by this week’s grand events, the ever-diligent Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued its busywork, grilling Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew Rohit Pawar in separate cases amid raucous Opposition claims of misuse of the agency by the Modi govt.

The week also saw sporadic outbursts by Opposition parties against the Modi govt’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ push, while Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil upped the ante, giving the Maharashtra government 24 hours to accept his demands.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)'s report on the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath dispute also (expectedly) took on political colour, with the Hindu side claiming the existence of a temple beneath the site and the Muslim side rejecting the same. Jumping on the exchange, BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh was quick to urge Muslims to hand over the site to the Hindus.

Elsewhere, insurgent group Ulfa disbanded 44 years after its formation, days after agreeing to lay down arms. However, a splinter faction of the group—the Ulfa-Independent—has yet to agree to peace talks, and remains at odds with India as it fights for a separate Assam.

…and the world keeps spinning around

As India celebrated a momentous week, its not-so-friendly neighbour Pakistan found itself embroiled in fresh international scuffles, first with Iran, and later in the week, with India, which it accused of killing Pakistani citizens. 

Islamabad, however, was promptly dismissed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which merely labelled the claims “false and malicious anti-India propaganda.” 

Meanwhile Beijing, ambitious as ever to increase its global influence, stepped in to mediate between Pakistan and Iran even as the US and UK continued joint strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in a bid to keep them off the Red Sea trade route.

This week also saw Israel get a slap on the wrist as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in an interim ruling, directed Tel Aviv to take all steps to prevent genocide and ensure the smooth flow of humanitarian aid to civilians in war-torn Gaza.

Half-way across the world, an undeterred Donald Trump continued to claw his way into the upcoming US Presidential elections, winning the New Hampshire Republican primary on the back of several notable candidates pulling out of the race.

That wraps up this week's political developments in India and across the world. With plenty of drama lined up, DH looks forward to being your one-stop guide to the world of politics this coming week.

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DH Newsletters Team