Why BJP's Caste Politics for UP Election Makes Us Almost Give Up on Narendra Modi

It seems that the BJP is going totally into "caste politics". 

First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong statement showcasing the large number of SC, ST and OBC ministers he had made in the recent cabinet expansion. Refer: 

Some not happy when country’s OBCs, women, farmers’ sons become ministers: PM Modi | India News – India TV (indiatvnews.com) 

Thereafter, the govt implemented 27% reservation for OBCs in medical college seats (NEET). 

NEET UG, PG Admissions 2021: 27% OBC and 10% EWS Quota to be implemented in All India Quota | Education News (timesnownews.com)

Newspapers and media started telling us that this is a "master stroke" is for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh. 

Reservation for OBC, EWS in medical seats to help in UP polls: BJP | India News – India TV (indiatvnews.com)

With OBC and EWS quota, Modi rallies voters for 2022, 2024 elections - The Week

Now, let us look at this matter in greater detail. 

First of all, if BJP govt in Uttar Pradesh had done really good job, why does the party need to play caste politics just before election? How about fightig election on the basis of your dev work, and Yogi ji, Modi ji's image? The fact that BJP is going in to caste politics tells that Yogi govt has not done up to the expectation, i.e. not enough to win another term. 

Secondly, everyone knows that EWS is not for General Category. It is for all. Last time I checked, there was a Muslim guy selected on EWS quota. 

Narendra Modi is mastermind in changing the national narrative with his single speech. Just because of UP Election, he has changed the narrative to "OBC castes" starting with his Cabinet Reshuffle. It is obvious that this is seasonal and not the core identity change of BJP.

No one votes for BJP because of "caste". BJP does not have caste based vote-bank. Reason is simple: it is a national party and can't ignore one to pick another, because every caste is dominant in some places or the other. 

Whoever is advising Narendra Modi to lure OBCs (because he himself is one) just for UP Election in 2022  is stupid. You lost 3 states last time by doing just that. Is BJP knowingly going to lose UP now repeating the time-tested method of Reservation? 

BJP is the only party which dethroned INC with full majority of its own. Why? Because BJP had a "bigger umbrella". 

Why is BJP ready to shed its umbrella of 'Hindutva' in order to play caste politics? It makes no sense. 

The bitter truth is that we all have supported Narendra Modi despite our differences with his policies. We also ignored his disastrous decisions like Demonetization.

But, one day, everyone's luck runs out. You never know. 

Hindutva > RSS > BJP > Narendra Modi 

Let us look at BJP during last election in West Bengal. It focused heavily on maligning Mamata Banerjee's image (still doing it), which was so petty. I asked them to stop but I am not important so why will they care? 

BJP's 'Hindutva' plank failed in Bengal, because Mamata Banerjee was a Brahmin and people did not see her anti-Hindu. As simple as that. Then they started maligning her image to gain votes. It failed too because she was a woman. 

Remember old Delhi election, when BJP brought in Kiran Bedi as CM Candidate, ignoring its own local leadership? That was the time from where I saw BJP making stupid "gambles" in the garb of political decisions. 

The point is that the BJP has been making wrong decisions, mainly because decision making is in the hands of only two (Modi-Shah) who lack a national vision. RSS/Sangh must interfere and stop them from making further wrongs. 

Reservation in itself is not a big problem, because any party in BJP's place would also have done the same. The problem is in its thinking and vision, which looks unbalanced and stressed now.  

The fact is that BJP is on the decline for sometime. It is natural because of anti-incumbency. But it seems that Modi ji is surrounding himself with only "yes men" and not honoring talent, and this is going to cost BJP sooner or later. 

Modi ji had focused on his own "image building" from day-1. Along with time, he became bigger than the BJP, then bigger than Sangh, and now bigger than India. His personal stupid decisions did disasters and we did not even protest.  

Demonetization was stupid. Complete unplanned lockdown from day-1 was stupid. Modi ji and his TV appearances are part of epic gospels now. India suffered so much because of his personal stupidity and lack of proper education.  

Modi ji is Bachelors of Arts from distance learning. He was a state level politician who came on national stage. Till date, his biggest achievements are either from BJP's agenda (370/Ram Mandir), or Congress' leftover ideas (GST).  

All he had to do was to listen to "experts". Then try the time tested methods which sounded reasonable and logical. But, he never gained listening to logic, why should he do it now? We are all held at ransom by his idiosyncrasy now.   

I wish Modi ji retires soon and passes on the chair to someone younger, better educated, and someone who understands Hindutva totally, instead of its parts and pieces. It would be better if new PM won't have a personal cult following. 

It will be much better to see Modi ji lose the chair instead of seeing BJP lose the power at Center. Please replace him with anyone better. We have had enough of him already.  

In his first term, Modi ji did demonetization. And in his second term, he did unplanned lockdown. Both were kept secretive from even his cabinet colleagues, and were "gambles" which failed. This is not how govts should run. Please replace him. 

Police Brutality in Uttar Pradesh Under Yogi Adityanath

If you have not come across this piece of news I want to refer to, you can check it out here: RSS leader's son ends life after cops beat up mother, ransack house - Rediff.com India News 

This incident tells very badly about the situation in Uttar Pradesh, where Yogi Adityanath gave free hand to the Police after coming to power. After some initial positive results (mainly in the form of fake encounter of gangsters), it soon disintegrated into Police Raj where the Police has absolute power and people's plight is forgotten, often scoffed at. 

About above episode, it seems Police did vandalism and arrested women of his family to force the man to surrender. (UP Police uses same technique everywhere, could also be seen in Vikas Dubey's case. Only this time they were not dealing with any gangster but an innocent common man). And the young man took his own life to prevent possible torture and even fake encounter in police lockup.

If this can happen to an RSS leader's family in Uttar Pradesh, imagine the plight of common people! 

It shows really poor in Yogi Adityanath's report card. People should think twice before supporting an atrocious Police Raj. 

Opposition Parties Playing Hypocritical Politics Against PM Modi

In India, we are seeing one of the worst phases of opposition politics. Discouraged by full majority government at the center, led by BJP's Narendra Modi, the opposition parties have given up all principles and morals in order to attack him. This can be easily demonstrated by recent controversy over PM Narendra Modi's picture over Covid19 vaccination certificates. 

Covid19 vaccination is a mass movement. It is a people's movement and not only a government program.  As soon as vaccines were made available, opposition parties had tried to discredit the vaccine and spread fears in people against it. Due to its nature and in order to instill faith in people's minds so that they vaccinate in large numbers, PM Modi had decided to put his picture over the certificate. His image indicated that the vaccine and the vaccination process was authorized and safe. This worked well. But the opposition parties did not like it at all. 

Opposition parties criticized PM Modi for putting his picture over the certificate. TMC even wrote to the Election Commission alleging that the use of PM Modi's photograph on provisional certificates issued during Covid-19 vaccination violates the model code of conduct for state assembly elections. But nothing happened and PM Modi stood tall. But now, in the second phase of vaccination for people of age group 18-44, the same opposition parties are putting up pictures of their own state CM over the certificates! 

West Bengal, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Chhattisgarh, all ruled by non-BJP parties have removed PM Modi's photo from vaccine certificates. TMC led govt in West Bengal is the latest one to put the image of CM Mamata Banerjee over the certificates. 

I do not have objection to the use of CM's pictures over the certificates. Because vaccination of 18-44 age group is managed by the state government and not the center. But then, 

1. Why are opposition parties blaming the Center for issues during vaccination of 18-44 age group?

2. If opposition parties did not want PM's image over 45+ age group certificates, then they should also not put CM's image over 18-45 age group, as a matter of principle. 

Not practicing what they preach is called "hypocrisy". I think the opposition parties are playing shameless politics of opportunism. People are watching and they can make out what is happening. No doubt that opposition parties should be ashamed of denigrating our country's democracy to this low level. 

- Rahul 

Bihar Government Planning to Increase Taxes and Stamp Duty To Fund Revenue Shortage Due to CM's Pet Project: Prohibition Law

 

As per today's newspaper, Bihar government is planning to increase taxes, registry fee and stamp duty of property buying in order to fund the revenue shortage. On the other hand, the state government keeps spending on the whimsical schemes launched by CM Nitish Kumar. Prohibition law is one such law which is a total failure but government is still pushing it because of ego attached to it. 

Despite the liquor ban in Bihar, liquor is available on the ground level wherever you go. Liquor mafia has come up which smuggles and supplies liquor everywhere in the state, and the Police is busy playing cat and mouse game with them. Is it really worth it? The state is crime infested and law and order is still not good enough - in such a state is it good idea to involve the Police in chasing liquor suppliers? At places even such suppliers get police protection and end up creating a mafia raj. Several murders and other crimes are happening related to the illegal liquor business. On the other hand, due to the liquor ban, people are forced to drink liquor of questionable quality. 

Due to the liquor ban, the state of Bihar is facing huge revenue collection shortage. So far, CM Nitish Kumar has been taxing real estate transactions because he thinks that "only Rich people buy land/ real estate" which is totally a myopic view. Real estate sector creates huge employment of workers and craftsmen of all kind and it is really a bad idea to stunt its growth by hiking the stamp duty and registration fees. 

CM Nitish Kumar should show some maturity and remove the liquor ban in Bihar as soon as possible. He should give out licenses to eligible parties and allow its regulated sale. In this manner, the state will be able to earn revenue which it can spend on necessary items. 

Disclaimer: I am a teetotaler and have never consumed alcoholic products. 

Arvind Kejriwal Insults Indian Parliament by Tearing Copies of Law in Delhi Assembly

After getting used to doing publicity stunts to remain in the news, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is at his best once again. This time he as gone as far as tearing the copies of bills passed by the Parliament of India, in Delhi assembly. Can you believe it; that a Chief Minister will insult Indian Parliament like this?  

I request the Supreme Court to take note of this act as an act of contempt to the constitution of India and insult to our democracy and sack Arvind Kejriwal from any constitutional posts he is occupying. Let this not become an example where other people will learn from him, if he goes unpunished, and we shall start seeing such insulting stunts more often. 

Bengal Elections: "There Should Be Fire In Your Hearts": BJP Leader Narottam Mishra Tells Members

 

Veteran leader Ghanshyam Tiwari returns to the BJP

Veteran leader and former Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jaipur on Saturday, 2.5 years after he left the party over differences with the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and the party’s central leadership. Mr. Tiwari had floated a new outfit, Bharat Vahini Party, ahead of the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly election.

Mr. Tiwary is a six-time BJP MLA and considered a hardliner. Ghanshyam’s associates have also rejoined BJP in Rajasthan

On Saturday, the 72-year-old leader, who was one of the founders of the BJP in the State in 1980, told reporters at the BJP State headquarters in Jaipur that he had not joined Congress or become a primary member of the party. “I simply shared the stage in a programme of the Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Mr. Tiwari said he was “completely committed” to the BJP’s ideology and his “heart and soul” were with the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “I had to float the Bharat Vahini Party owing to some circumstances... I did not take part in the protests organised by the Congress against the Citizenship Amendment Act and abrogation of Article 370.”

Mr. Tiwari was the Education Minister in the 2003-08 Vasundhara Raje government and the Deputy Leader of Opposition during the previous Congress regime. He had been at loggerheads with the Ms. Raje-led dispensation over the issues such as farmers’ plight, corruption and reservation for higher castes.

BJP State president Satish Poonia said Mr. Tiwari’s return to the party fold was not an exception. “Leaders like Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and Babulal Marandi joined back after the leaving the BJP,” he said.

Source: TH