Taking forward the BJP’s aggressive stance on the question of nationalism and more specifically the chanting of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” as its test, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday claimed victory for the BJP in its “ideological battle” on the issue.
Speaking at the Delhi BJP’s executive committee meeting, Mr. Jaitley reflected the party’s political resolution adopted at its national executive. “Some people are questioning the nationalism of Savarkar, who inspired lakhs and crores of countrymen. These very people are attending programmes of those who talk of breaking up India,” he said referring to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Jawharlal Nehru University in the wake of sedition charges against its students’ union president.
“This is a huge challenge for us. This is a big ideological challenge. We should consider this an ideological battle and I feel we have won its first round. Now people who were raising slogans against the country have started saying they will chant ‘Jai Hind’, if not ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’,” he said. “At least they have been said something to convey their allegiance to the country. This was your ideological victory that you forced them to say this,” he added.
Mr. Jaitley was equally scathing of both the Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. “The Congress is shrinking throughout India and the voters will turn Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of ‘Congress-free’ India into a reality,” he said.
“The Congress’s aim these days is to be a tail-end of any political alliance. It is like the 10th or 11th batsman in a cricket match. In Bihar they allied with Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. In Tamil Nadu, they are seeking seats from the DMK,” he said.
Attacking the AAP, he said it was a government of “confrontations rather than constructive work.”
