5 August was not just the date of the Ram Janambhoomi temple’s bhoomi pujan but it also marked the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. Ever since then, some commentators and BJP leaders have been remarking that this also marks an anniversary of “New India”, one which ticks all the items on the BJP’s manifesto. All that is left really is the Uniform Civil Code and some would say with the abolition of Triple Talaq the first steps towards that have already been taken. It’s only a matter of time.
And of course the New India has its poster boy in Prime Minister Narendra Modi who ascended the stage with a bold splash of saffron in his scarf, chanting the scriptures in an authoritative but sombre tone with his flowing locks forming a majestic halo around his head. While his PR machinery may have strived for the Bhishma Pitamah look, others compared him to King Dasharatha. But all in all, it was an impressive performance as befits the gravity of the moment. On a more pragmatic note, it also overshadowed all the other headlines of the week, from China to Covid to the economy. With Yogi Adityanath by his side, the PM also sounded the bugle for the UP elections due in 2022.
And as for those who pointed out the absence of any Opposition leader on the dais, they were told that this was a BJP event. When BJP supporters commented on the absence of L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti who spearheaded the Rath Yatra that led to this day, they were told that it was in deference to their age that they were not asked to share the stage with the PM for after all this was Covid time. Yet, the 78-year-old Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel was on the dais. Again, those who argued (merely to score a debating point) as to why the President of India was left out, they were told that since this was a BJP event, those who held constitutional office were not invited — and yet the Governor of UP was. In the end, it was the troika of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Modi that hogged all the limelight. And this clearly is the face of the BJP that the PM is going to market, first to Uttar Pradesh in 2022 and then to the general elections.
Hardline Hindutva is back on the agenda, more so in the times of Covid when there is little else to market — definitely not the economy, and post-Galwan the national security plank has taken a dent though an attempt was made to revive consumer sentiments with the over-thetop coverage of the Rafale delivery. As for Covid, the PMO has successfully passed the blame for any glitches to state chief ministers, leaving for PM Modi the credit for having implemented the world’s biggest lockdown. Passing the blame is what any smart politician does, getting stuck with it is the folly of a hapless Opposition. Whether it was the mishandling of the migrant workers exodus, the floundering economy or the ill-timed lockdown, these are issues where the Central government was found lacking and where the Opposition should have stepped in. That it failed to do so is a self-goal from which it may not recover in time for the 2024 general elections; and definitely not in time for the next round of polls due in Bihar where the ruling JD-U and BJP still have the advantage, despite the fact that a huge chunk of daily workers stranded in the metros come from this state.
In the end, PM Modi was right when he ascended the stage in Ayodhya with a triumphant Jai Shri Ram. It’s a cry that will reverberate in his favour for a long time, because all that the Opposition could do in return, is merely echo his words.