Sunday, 13 January 2019

Don't let 2019 be like the 3rd Panipat battle: Amit Shah to Party

Don't let 2019 be like the 3rd Panipat battle: Amit Shah to  Party

Jan 12, 2019 

NEW DELHI: Looking to send a political message of Hindu consolidation and nationalism, BJP chief Amit Shah plucked the third battle of Panipat out of history books, comparing the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to the decisive battle of 1761, which is seen to have paved the way for colonial rule. 

"2019 will be a decisive contest like the third battle of Panipat. Marathas had won over 131 wars but lost in the battle of Panipat against the forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali. Maratha defeat led to over 200 years of colonial slavery," Shah said and urged people not make a similar mistake again. 

The reference to a battle, enshrined in folklore as the defeat of the 'Hindu' Peshwas against Abdali, the consequent sack of Delhi and the large power vacuum that engulfed north India, is clearly intended to recreate images of humiliation and decline, and rally BJP's core vote.  

On the Hindutva theme, Shah's reference to the Ram temple saw the venue of the BJP national convention erupt with shouts of "Jai Shri Ram". The excitement was palpable even as Shah, while strongly reiterating the party's commitment to a temple in Ayodhya, said constitutional processes would be followed. 

Hindutva, welfare schemes and PM Narendra Modi's leadership and "clean image" despite Congress's allegations over the Rafale deal will be central to BJP's campaign in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as Shah set the tone with a speech that was  a political agenda setter. 

The Panipat imagery, with its narrative of the defeat of Maratha power due to lack of unity among Hindu royals like Rajputs and Jats, who refused to side with the Peshwa, was a message in itself. Shah looked to convey that the party's voters needed to keep in mind the larger stakes in the next  election.

Shah made it clear that BJP was not going to be defensive  about its image as a "Hinduwadi" party. He assured the assembly that the temple would be constructed at the same venue though he said opposition parties like Congress were leaving no stone unturned to see that the long awaited dream of Hindus didn't come true. He cited the example of Congress leader Kapil Sibal arguing  in Supreme Court that the case be delayed till after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 


"We want construction of the temple at the earliest and want that the case reaches a conclusion but Congress is creating obstacles. However, we are committed that the temple will be constructed at the same venue," Shah said.

Implementation of National Register for Citizens in Assam was yet another seemingly Hindu-centric agenda to which Shah latched on to attack the opposition parties, saying their attack on the NRC raised the question whether infiltrators were their brethren. 

"Soon after BJP formed a government in Assam under Sarbananda  Sonowal, state government started working on implementation of NRC. I was glad to see in papers that 40 lakh illegal migrants have been identified in Assam. However, when I spoke in Rajya Sabha, I was utterly shocked to see Rahul baba and company were crying hoarse," Shah said. 

The BJP chief continued, "Most of opposition parties like Congress, SP, BSP, TMC all were shouting in empathy with illegal migrants and were concerned about their fate. Kya ye ghuspaithiye inke mausre bhai hain?" Shah said. 

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