Ram temple, Modi’s Kedarnath trip & now INS Arihant have handed narrative back to BJP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing INS Arihant crew | @narendramodi/Twitter

Modi govt seemed to have lost its grip on the narrative in recent times, but the focus on Hindutva & nationalism will help it control the discourse.

New Delhi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi all set to spend Diwali at the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, and the growing clamour for construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Hindutva is back at the forefront of India’s political discourse.

The fact that India’s first nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant completed its first deterrence patrol Monday, completing the country’s nuclear triad and sending out a strong message to rivals China and Pakistan, has given PM Modi and the BJP an opportunity to fly the national flag as well.

All this could give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a grip on the narrative again, something it seemed to have lost given the clamour over the Rafale deal, the weakening rupee, the skyrocketing fuel prices, as well as the unprecedented civil war in the CBI.

Hindutva to the fore

Modi will visit the Kedarnath temple Wednesday to celebrate Diwali, his third visit to the shrine in a year and a half. It comes at a time when Congress president Rahul Gandhi is trying to assert his devotion to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of Kedarnath, having gone on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra earlier this year.

Meanwhile, with the Supreme Court stating an appropriate bench will decide dates for hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute case in January, the demand for government intervention in the matter has gained traction.

The BJP’s ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as well as the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti and others, have said the government must step in.

While this puts the pressure on the Modi government, highly placed sources in the party say the leadership also believes the temple and Hindutva dominating the political discourse will help the BJP in election season, whether or not the government is seen as doing anything.

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement, after all, has been a major contributor in the rise of the BJP, and Hindutva continues to dominate its political and electoral strategy.

“Even if the government does not do anything, just a passionate conversation around the Ram mandir in poll season suits us. With this, we can define the narrative instead of being a victim of it,” said a party source who did not wish to be identified.

“We were being cornered on several fronts, making us look weak. A discourse that is dominated by temple talk is exactly what helps us.”

Now, sources say the party hopes not just to get a grip on the narrative, but also “force the opposition to talk about the issue”.

Recently, nominated Rajya Sabha MP and RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha said he will bring in a private member bill — clearly a way to test the opposition.

“When there are so many quarters talking about it, the opposition would have to react. That ensures it’s all about the mandir now. Rafale, CBI etc are on the back burner,” said another party leader on the condition of anonymity.

How INS Arihant helps

INS Arihant’s successful deterrence patrol has also come at the perfect time to boost Modi’s image as a ‘strong’ leader, especially in the face of a rising China and given turbulent equations with Pakistan.

The 23-rank jump in the World Bank Group’s Global Ease of Doing Business index, as well as the PM’s announcements of incentives to the MSME sector, have also given a boost to the BJP.

All these factors together, the party hopes, can help shift the narrative in its favour.