In election-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to cash in on the legacy of Kalyan Singh, remembered as a Chief Minister from the backward caste under whose watch the Mughal-era Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.
In the two weeks since his death , the Lodh leader's legacy, which is a suitable blend of OBC caste and Hindutva for the BJP, has been put under focus as the party tries to consolidate its hold on the numerically dominant non-Yadav OBC bloc as well as appeal to its core Hindutva constituency.
The ruling BJP has announced that roads in six different districts , including Ayodhya, would be dedicated to Kalyan Singh; a prominent cancer hospital in Lucknow would be named after him and his statue would come up on its premises and a new medical college would be built in his name in Bulandshahr.
In the tributes paid to Kalyan Singh by his former colleagues and the exchange of barbs between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) ever since his death on August 22, the Babri Masjid demolition and the Ram Mandir movement of the 1990s have found their way back into political discourse.
Kalyan Singh had been out of active politics for almost a decade before his death at age 89. Following his demise, the BJP has tried to not only revive memories of his rule but also underlined his legacy of a pro-Hindutva backward caste leader at a time when many Opposition leaders as well as OBC allies are demanding a caste census.
Akhilesh under fire
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has come under fire of the BJP after he did not attend any of the prayer meets dedicated to Kalyan Singh nor physically offer his tributes to the departed, a point which the BJP underlined in a new political attack on him. In contrast, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati went to the residence of the deceased leader and offered her respects.
On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commended Kalyan Singh for taking “complete moral responsibility” over the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 and not taking any action against the State officials and staff over the incident. Mr. Adityanath, who was in Aligarh to attend a prayer meet ( tehravi ) for Kalyan Singh, also said that he did not hesitate to leave the Chief Minister’s post for the construction of a “grand temple” following the demolition of the “disputed structure.” In various events, senior BJP leaders have hailed Kalyan Singh as a hero of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Senior BJP leaders flocked to the tehravi meet in his home district.
The build-up to the condolence meeting organised a day earlier in Lucknow was also not bereft of political manoeuvres. On Monday, BJP State president Swatantra Dev Singh called upon SP patriarch Mulayam Singh, at his residence apparently to invite him for the condolence meet. In a tweet, Mr. Swatantra Dev Singh said he received “blessings” from “Netaji.”
Seen as a move by the BJP to show his son Mr. Akhilesh Yadav in a poor light for not physically paying tribute to Kalyan Singh, the SP shot back at the BJP with its digital media coordinator Manish Jagan Agarwal tweeting that Mr. Mulayam Singh made an offer to Swatandra Dev Singh to join the SP. “Maybe Swatantra Dev is unhappy with the neglect of Backward Caste and Dalit [leaders] in the BJP. Swatandra Dev Singh may call it a courtesy call but there is something…” Mr. Agarwal posted. The SP chief retweeted the tweet.
The BJP has attempted to play up Kalyan Singh’s legacy of a leader whose personality offered them a deft mix of OBC and Hindutva, helping it to challenge the OBC-led Mandal politics and also giving it power in the country’s most populous State. Mr. Adityanath has led from the front and participated in every ritual or event following Kalyan Singh’s death, even winning praise from his son Rajveer Singh, MP from Etah, for overseeing Kalyan Singh’s final journey. Mr. Adityanath had acted like his eldest son, Mr. Rajveer Singh said recently.
After Mr. Akhilesh Yadav stayed away from visiting Kalyan Singh’s family, offering just a tweet as condolence, the BJP deputed its OBC leaders to target him over his absence. Senior BJP OBC leaders accused the SP chief of trying to “appease” Muslims by not paying his respects to Kalyan Singh, who was a Lodh Rajput (OBC) and a key face of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple movement, which brought the BJP to power for the first time in U.P. in 1991.
Responding to jibes of “Muslim appeasement”, the SP accused the BJP of using Kalyan Singh for Hindutva but always treating him like a "backward" while he was alive. The SP leaders also asked why Kalyan Singh was not given a place in the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust or not invited for the foundation ceremony of the Ram Mandir on August 5, 2020.
