Shah underlines BJP’s nationalism agenda

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 19

Using the JNU episode, BJP president Amit Shah underlined his party’s firm “nationalistic, united India” approach vis-à-vis others at the BJP’s national executive today. Clearly, this is the message he plans to maximise in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The raging row over nationalism remained at the core of Shah’s presidential address at the BJP’s national executive meeting today. Scathing in criticism of the Left and the Congress, especially Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi whom he specifically named for “standing in support to those who chanted anti-India slogans”, Shah asserted his party would not tolerate any “criticism” of the country.

Freedom of expression could not be an excuse for chanting anti-national slogans, he said while also wondering why after 68 years of Independence chanting “Bharat Mata ki jai” had become an issue. 

“A large number of people sacrificed lives chanting the slogan, which is older than the BJP and the RSS. It is unfortunate that a controversy over it is happening so many years after Independence,” he said.

While he praised the Modi government for its “game changer” Budget and “pro-farmer” and “pro-poor” approach and policies, Shah’s underlying message was BJP’s “intolerance” to “anti-national” activities and statements. “Anti-national slogans were openly shouted at the prestigious JNU. It was not wrong on Rahul Gandhi’s part to go to JNU. But the way he spoke in favour of those who raised anti-India slogans will not be tolerated,” he said.

“He (Shah) was clear while the BJP was willing to accept all criticism of the government and the party, it would not tolerate any criticism of the country,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, briefing about Shah’s address.

According to Shah, those who criticise the BJP for “lack of freedom of expression” and “intolerance” forget about the situation during the Emergency. “How can people who are talking about the freedom of expression forget the Emergency days? How can the supporters of Mao and Stalin talk about the freedom of expression,” he questioned the Left. On the Congress, he said its main focus was to ensure that the Modi dispensation could not perform.