Cong bans use of ‘Hindu extremists’ for BJP, RSS

Rahul Gandhi has advised his party leaders against using words like ‘Hindu terrorists’ and ‘Hindu extremists’, especially in the context of the BJP leaders. After the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, called the RSS and BJP Hindu extremists, a huge controversy erupted. This was followed by the BJP announcing that the issue will be pursued in court. Senior leader of the BJP and Central Minister Ananth Kumar has questioned how one can call the BJP an extremist organisation when it is a recognised political party, which is running its Government at the Centre and several other States.

After the controversy, when Siddaramaiah came to Delhi to meet Rahul, the Congress president asked him not to use such words. When Siddaramaiah came out of the meeting, he said he was a “kind Hindu”. Later, Rahul made this a rule for the entire party. Though many leaders of the party are putting the onus on Rahul for the use of such words. A leader said that almost a decade ago, while in conversation with a US Ambassador, Rahul had said that Hindu terrorism was dangerous for India. During its 10-year regime, the Congress has used this word so frequently that it will be difficult to nullify its effect so easily.

OPPOSITION’S UNITed MARCH

Some time ago, a rebel leader of the JDU was going around the country, trying to unite the entire Opposition in the name of common legacy, and now Sharad Pawar is doing the same. On the initiative take by Pawar, leaders of the Opposition will gather in Mumbai on January 26. On Republic Day, when heads of 10 countries of ASEAN will be watching the parade in Delhi, these leaders of the Opposition will take out a march to “protect the Constitution”. 

It is being said that some youths, especially from IITs, had given the suggestion for the march, which will be led by Pawar. It was on the suggestion of youths that this march has been named Samvidhan Bachao Rally, and three youths from Gujarat — Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mewani, and Alpesh Thakor — have also been invited. Almost all leaders of the Congress will be participating in the rally. However, president of the Maharashtra Congress, Ashok Chavan, has indicated that Rahul won’t participate.

For some time now, the Opposition parties have been continuously organising meetings and conferences, although Pawar never attended any of these. His party representatives, such as Praful Patel and DP Tripathi, attended instead. This time, Pawar is leading the rally and has invited almost all bigwigs of the Opposition to Mumbai, such as Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Yadav, and Sitaram Yechury. The RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has also been invited for the rally. Leaders will march towards the Gateway of India from Mantralaya.

BEST MP AWARD GOES TO...

There has been no ‘Best MP Award’ for the past five years. It was in 2012 that the JDU leader Sharad Yadav was given the award during the UPA regime, and prior to that, it was a regular affair. But ever since the NDA came to power at the Centre, this award hasn’t been conferred on anyone. Now it is being said that five ‘best’ MPs will be selected for a period from 2013 to 2017. All parties have become active to clinch the award for their MPs. Sources say that leaders from the Samajwadi Party, BSP, CPI, CPM, BJD and TMC are in the running. Leaders of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha — Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma — are also said to be in the race. In the Lok Sabha, the Congress doesn’t have any contender for the award.

The CPM leader Sitaram Yechury had been a Rajya Sabha MP for two consecutive terms and his tenure came to an end last year. During his 12-year term in the Rajya Sabha, he managed to leave a mark. He participated in almost all important discussions and his conduct in Parliament was also good. So, the CPM is hopeful that Yechury could bag the award. Other Opposition parties can also nominate him along with the CPM.

The first recipient of the award was the CPI’s Indrajit Gupta in 1992, and in 1996, the CPM’s Somnath Chatterjee was selected as the best MP. And Yechury could be the third best MP from the Left.

There is a buzz that around half a dozen MPs of the Samajwadi Party might propose the name of Ram Gopal Yadav. He has been an MP for the past two and a half decades and is presently the leader of his party in the Rajya Sabha. His opponent, Mayawati, had resigned from the Rajya Sabha last year and now her party leaders want her name to be considered.

ISOLATED CONGRESS IN UP

The Congress seems to have been completely isolated in Uttar Pradesh. The party had fought the last Assembly Elections along with the SP, but after that, it took no initiative to either save the alliance or forge a new one. That is why the BSP and SP are maintaining distance from the Congress. On the other hand, the Congress leaders are saying that they are not worried about an alliance. A party leader says that for the next elections in UP, they will bank on the “charisma” of Rahul. In 2009, Rahul had worked hard and the party had won 22 seats, and he hopes to do the same in the next Assembly Elections.

Rahul is now the president of the party and this has given a boost to the morale of the leaders of the UP Congress. The SP and BSP seem to have understood the Congress’ politics and are thus keeping it at an arm’s length. The BSP chief, Mayawati, attacked the Congress twice within two weeks. Earlier, she said that the Congress didn’t have any respect for either the Constitution or for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. After that, on her birthday, she again attacked the Congress. On January 15, she said that both the BJP and Congress were anti-Dalit, implying that she is not ready to go into an alliance with the latter.

Before that, the SP national president, Akhilesh Yadav, said he didn’t have any intention to go into an alliance with the Congress. Claiming that his intention was to strengthen his own party, he said he won’t benefit from fighting the Assembly Elections jointly with another party. Although he enjoys a good rapport with Rahul, it seems that the two regional parties of UP are not ready to forge an alliance with the Congress.