Anil Anand
Three developments in quick succession have triggered and brought the debate in the open, from the often-heard murmurs for the past sometime, regarding the discomfort and unease prevailing in certain quarters of the BJP.These could also be an indicator to the new direction that party could expectedly take in the run up to the 2024 general elections. The developments convey a strong message to the quarters where it is meant to be delivered.
The changes in the party’s Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee (CEC) leading to the ouster of Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari, considered a moderate face in the party, from both the highest bodies of the party, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, coupled with the Union Housing and Urban Development Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri making a surprise announcement about a rehabilitation plan for the Rohingya “refugees” that ran contrary to the BJP’s stated policy, have created a stir within the BJP and caused anxiety. This has also evoked curiosity in the political and social circles regarding the party’s future plan of action.
Some may describe the Parliamentary Board changes as routine affair, and that the Home Ministry set the record straight by forcing Mr Puri to retract within hours, these moves are certainly not the indicators of “all is well” within the ruling dispensation as powers-that-be would like the nation to believe. Why Mr Gadkari’s wings, despite a high-performance Minister, have been clipped? Has his outspokenness questioning his own Government and party cost him dearly?
The third action pertains to erasing the symbolic Muslim community representation both in the Government and in the party’s highest forum such as CEC. Both Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, from the Union Cabinet, and Shahnawaz Hussain, from CEC, were unceremoniously removed from their respective posts notwithstanding the fact that they had loyally tried to portray themselves as the Muslim faces of the party at the cost of antagonizing their own community. Are they headed to meet the same fate as the former Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government, Sikandar Bhakt who was crestfallen in his last days due to shabby treatment meted out to him?
Are these, particularly removal of Mr Gadkari and Mr Chauhan from the Parliamentary Board and CEC indicators of BJP harping on a new political strategy? These certainly are the indicators that the party could portray a more hardcore stand with little or no space for moderates, such as Mr Gadkari, the old guard like Mr Chauhan, and the Muslims?
The most significant of these developments are the changes effected in the BJP’s all-powerful decision-making body, its Parliamentary Board which among others comprises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister, Amit Shah, and of course the party president J P Nadda. The unexpected axing of one of the most efficient ministers of Modi Government, Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Chouhan from the Board, who often in the past been portrayed as Prime Minister hopeful, is meant to convey a strong message that the Modi-Shah power-center in the party is intact and all powerful, and that anyone within the party daring to challenge them will be shown the place.
The centerpiece of the Parliamentary Board reshuffle is Mr Gadkari as he has been for the past sometime grabbing headlines for wrong reasons, as the BJP insiders perceived, as against the laudable references about the efficient functioning of his Ministry. He has repeatedly expressed his disagreement with the functioning of the ruling dispensation without mincing any words.
Perhaps his recent statement made at a function at Nagpur, RSS headquarter and his home town and Lok Sabha constituency has hit where it hurt the most “Politics has been a part of the social movement since the time of Mahatma Gandhi. Later, its focus shifted towards the goal of nation-building and development. What we are seeing today is 100 per cent only about staying in power. Politics is a true means of social and economic reform and therefore today’s politicians should work for the development of education, arts etc. in the society,” he had observed. Ostensibly, he impliedly hinted at the manner in which the system around him was functioning.
Although Mr Chauhan is a great survivor but not courageous enough to speak his mind out on issues, it will be interesting to see how Gadkari moves forward from here-on. Will he meekly accept the reprimand in the form of losing membership of Parliamentary Board and CEC and silently accept the fate accompli as Mr Bakht, L K Advani and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi? Or take Yashwant Sinha’s recourse to challenge the system from within and become a rallying point?
The manner in which Mr Puri issued a detailed statement on rehabilitation plan for the Rohingyas, considered by his party and Government as “illegal foreigners” allegedly indulging in anti-national activities, and claimed credit for it, had left the RSS and strong sections of the BJP flabbergasted, it amused the party’s rivals and political observers. In his twitter post Mr Puri to which he had interestingly tagged the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he had said, “India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decisionall #Rohingya #Refugees will be shifted to the EWS flats in Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs & round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection.”
This is an about-turn from the ruling dispensation’s, Government and BJP, “nationalistic” approach in dealing with this set of refugees who are viewed by them through the prism of religion.
It is unfathomable to perceive under the prevailing centralized system of governance that Mr Puri had the liberty or showed courage to take a unilateral decision on this sensitive issue without the knowledge of either the PMO or the Home Ministry. His tweet reflected his confidence on two counts, firstly he tagged the PMO to keep the South Block informed regarding developments on the task possibly assigned to him.
Secondly and more importantly he made a mention of providing Delhi Police protection to the Rohingya refugees which he could not have done without the concurrence particularly of the Home Ministry. The Ministry subsequently issued a clarificatory press release within hours forcing Mr Puri to backtrack by saying that the “Home Ministry’s press release with respect to the Rohingya illegal foreigners gives out the correct position.”
Mr Gadkari and Mr Chauhan being defanged has a political background and done solely with a view to further the feisty politics of the top leadership. Has it been done sensing more dissensions?
Rohingya episode has even wider political ramifications for the BJP and given a handle to the opposition parties and BJP’s detractors to corner both the Government and the party. Was Mr Puri’s tweet used as a trial balloon to gauge public and political reaction on possible change of the ruling dispensation’s policy towards Rohingya refugees or was it done under some external pressure? The Government and BJP will have to do lot of explaining in the days to come.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
