While leaders are busy exploiting the Dadri incident, the voice of the moderate elements has been sidelined and even silenced
No one could have thought that beef ban or reservation could become the main poll issue in the Assembly election in Bihar. While political parties have been battling with these two contentious issues, development, that was the mantra of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has gone into the background.
It is common knowledge that an innocuous act can trigger communal violence. But what happened in Dadri was much more. Fifty-year old Mohammad Ikhlaq was killed by a mob over rumours of consuming beef in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri area. This incident has sent shockwaves across the country, and is bound to echo in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Unfortunately, politicians of all hues are trying to exploit the incident for vote-bank politics. While the BJP is trying to consolidate its Hindu votes, the other so-called secular parties are eyeing the Muslim votes. Fringe elements on both the sides have been disturbing the law and order in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere. As political parties are busy making provocative speeches, the affected family has been running from pillar-to-post for safety.
Ironically, it was Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who, after visiting the victim’s family said, “Who benefited from thisIJ Not the Hindus. Not the Muslims. Only political parties and political leaders benefited from this incident.” Perhaps Mr Kejriwal forgot that he too was one of the latter.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is busy getting ready for the 2017 Assembly poll. In fact, many see the Dadri incident as a rehearsal for the poll, as it suits both the BJP as well as the Samajwadi Party to polarise the voters. For the record, Mr Yadav has dismissed criticism and has said that the Samajwadi Party would “never do politics” on such incidents.
After meeting Ikhlaq’s mother Asgari, brother Mohammed Afzal and daughter Shaista, Mr Yadav said, “Since the Samajwadi Party came to power, some forces are trying to create one or the other atmosphere.” Although Mr Yadav has promised a compensation of Rs20 lakh, a house, complete security to the family as well as job to one family member, it is obvious that the family does not want to stay in Dadri. By the way, where is Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh YadavIJ
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has claimed, “Both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party thrive in an atmosphere of communal hatred, and this has been proved by this incident. Both the parties worked hand-in-glove in such situations.”
The BJP speaks in different voices. While Finance Minister Arun Jaitley condemned the incident, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to present a report on the incident, besides, sending an advisory to the State that there should be zero tolerance. Also, there are shriller voices emerging from some other Ministers Mr like Mahesh Sharma and controversial BJP MlA Sangeet Som.
Bihar BJP leader and chief ministerial aspirant Sushil Kumar Modi has come out with a statement that the BJP will enforce a cow-slaughter ban if voted to power. The BJP is looking to ensure reverse polarisation. Beef ban and reservation are the two issues on which the BJP hopes to benefit through the consolidation of its vote-bank. This helped the BJP in the 2014 general election and is likely to benefit in the Bihar election too.
The Congress, which has lost its core voters in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, claims that it was a politico-ideological murder committed by some people who are trying to change the narrative of the country. The Congress has questioned, why the Government should dictate about what people should eat, what they should wear, how they should talk. It has appealed to all right-thinking people to stand up against it. The Congress should remember that Mahatma Gandhi was clear that cow-slaughter cannot be used as a weapon, despite his vaishnavite belief.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who is trying to expand his influence in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, has questioned Mr Modi’s silence on what he called a “pre-planned murder”.
What one should worry about is that it is not cow protection but mob lynching and the overall direction where politics is going. This new and ugly politics is turning into a majoritarianversus minorityarian politics.