Why cow back on Maharashtra Cabinet table, ‘love, vote jihad’ on Dy CM Fadnavis lips

An organisation called the Sakal Hindu Samaj archetypal brought “love jihad” wide into the Maharashtra governmental lexicon past year, inviting respective charges of hatred speech. However, BJP leaders officially kept their region from it. Fadnavis, who besides holds the Home portfolio, present seems to person enactment his stamp connected the charges.

The Election Commission is expected to state the dates for the Maharashtra elections wrong days of the October 8 results of the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir polls.

The BJP, which plunged from 23 seats successful Maharashtra to 9 successful the caller Lok Sabha polls, is racing against clip to summation mislaid ground. While seat-sharing talks with the unwieldy conjugation it has stitched unneurotic with the Shiv Sena and NCP are chugging on astatine a dilatory pace, the enactment realises it needs to triumph astatine slightest 100 Assembly seats of the full 288 to stay the large member of the coalition, and to beryllium successful contention for power.

This is nary casual task fixed that astatine its best, the BJP got 122 seats successful 2014, which fell to 105 successful 2019, erstwhile it fell abbreviated of a majority. The enactment contested 260 successful 2014 (it was past a multi-corner arsenic parties went alone) and 164 seats successful 2019 (when it contested successful confederation with the Shiv Sena), and is expected to get not much than 160 successful the three-way Mahayuti coalition.

BJP leaders judge that the complacency astir the Hindu ballot aft the inauguration of the Ram Temple outgo it successful Maharashtra successful the Lok Sabha polls. They are determined not to person a repeat, and hence, the entreaty to the party’s halfway basal with issues specified arsenic “love” and “vote” jihad, and the cow.

BJP sources constituent retired that they besides can’t fto the aggression slacken arsenic the enactment has a nonstop rival successful the Shiv Sena for the Hindu ballot successful Maharashtra. Pushing these issues besides drives Shiv Sena (UBT) person Uddhav Thackeray into a corner, arsenic helium already has to person his voters that joining hands with the Congress doesn’t mean a dilution of the Hindutva of his party.

Officially, BJP leaders accidental the cow’s elevated presumption is simply a indispensable measurement to sphere and support the indigenous variety. Cabinet curate Sudhir Mungantiwar said: “We should look astatine cattle extortion scientifically. The cattle is the mainstay of agriculture and farmers. From its beverage to its dung and urine, it has multi-purpose uses.”

A crackdown connected cattle slaughter successful Maharashtra has been successful spot since 2014, erstwhile the BJP formed the authorities with the Shiv Sena, with Fadnavis arsenic CM.

In the past year, the Mahayuti authorities has ignored calls seeking enactment against the “love jihad” and “land jihad” rallies of the Sakal Hindu Samaj, contempt request by respective quarters.

Recently, arguable preacher Ramgiri Maharaj’s remarks during an yearly spiritual lawsuit held astatine Nashik enactment respective parts of the authorities connected edge. While, aft protests by Muslim organisations, an FIR was filed against Ramgiri, Shiv Sena person and CM Eknath Shinde shared a dais with him and praised him 24 hours later.

The government’s laxity connected the substance was further underlined by remarks of BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, who astatine 2 rallies successful Ahmednagar, defended Ramgiri and allegedly made threats against those opposing him. Only aft determination was outrage implicit an MLA talking similar this was an FIR lodged. But nary enactment has been taken against Rane truthful far.

Admitting that the presumption quo whitethorn continue, a elder BJP functionary requesting anonymity said: “Rane is the dependable of millions who privation hard Hindutva. And the BJP is giving him governmental patronage.”

An anti-encroachment thrust astatine Vishalgad Fort adjacent Kolhapur, which besides drew attraction arsenic Muslim establishments were demolished, led to akin questions astir the BJP’s intent.

Fadnavis said it was incorrect to spot everything done a Hindus versus Muslims prism. “All amerciable encroachments successful places of worship, humanities forts and nationalist places volition beryllium demolished arsenic per rules.”

Now, up of the Navratri festival starting October 3, the VHP has directed garba organisers to guarantee non-Hindus bash not enactment successful the celebrations, and to cheque credentials of the individuals seeking to bash so. Those cleared would person to athletics vermillion connected their forehead and bow to gods and goddess, the VHP has said.

The Hindutva propulsion has been called a prevarication by the Shiv Sena (UBT), a subordinate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. MP Sanjay Raut said, “The BJP by giving the Rajya Mata tag to the cattle has insulted ideologue V D Savarkar.” This was a notation presumably to Savarkar’s technological temperament and a much applicable presumption of the cow.

Congress main Nana Patole attacked Fadnavis, saying, “When the Home Minister makes arguable statements similar emotion jihad, ballot jihad, it is simply a usurpation of his Constitutional oath.”