How Congress and BJP are fighting it out for the Hindu vote
With an eye on the Hindu votes, a competition has started between the BJP and the Congress to prove who is a greater reactionary, a greater champion of Hindutva.
Earlier, it was the BJP, which was regarded as the party for Hindutva, Ram Mandir, cow protection, Ghar wapsi etc. But now the Congress is following in its footsteps — obviously with an eye on the coming Lok Sabha elections.
During the Gujarat elections, Rahul Gandhi was projected as a janeu dhari Brahmin and Shiv bhakt, even as he visited dozens of temples. Now, he is on a yatra to Kailash Mansarovar.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had announced in August 2017 that his government will establish 108 gaushalas (cow shelters) on the banks of the Narmada, one for every five village panchayats, and later 1,000 such gaushalas will be set up in the state.
Not to be outdone, MP Congress president Kamal Nath, a rally held last Sunday in Ganj Bisoda town of Vidisha, said the BJP has done nothing for cows, which were dying in the hundreds. He then announced that if the Congress comes to power, it will set up a gaushala in every panchayat of the state.
One wonders where is this country heading?
While China is rapidly marching ahead and has already become the second superpower in the world, we are still grappling with Ram Mandir, ghar wapsi and cow protection.
As for our secularism, it is now left only on paper, and is in tatters. Cow vigilantism and lynching of Muslims have made a mockery of our democracy. Our image in the world's eye as a secular country has been irreparably tarnished.
In Madhya Pradesh, five babas (including Computer Baba) have been given the status of Minister of State by the MP government. In Rajasthan, a separate ministry dedicated to the welfare of cows has been set up. Cow urine is being marketed by Baba Ramdev's Patanjali and Co as a cure for many ailments.
In view of the coming Lok Sabha elections, we can expect more of the same. In the meantime, unemployment and farmers distress would keep rising, as would prices of petrol, diesel and food, while the rupee, in all likelihood, would sink further.
One shudders to think of the times ahead.