A combative BJP has decided to take the bull by the horns on the JNU incident as it questions the Opposition's commitment to nationalism. BJP president Amit Shah posed eight questions before Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for 'supporting anti-nationals and separatists'.
Shah wrote a blog, only the third since he took over as party chief, to take on Gandhi asking him if he had joined hands with separatists by supporting the "anti-Indian" sloganeering by a "bunch of left leaning students" at the JNU campus.
The blog comes a day after home minister Rajnath Singh linked the episode to LeT chief Hafeez Sayeed, though it was silent on his claim. Shah cited the slogans and asked if it was Gandhi's idea of nationalism and patriotism.
"Does he want to give a free hand to separatists in the name of freedom of expression and want another division of the country?" Shah asked Gandhi, from whom he also sought an apology to the nation for supporting forces "inimical" to India's interests.
The BJP apparently senses political mileage on the JNU issue, on which it is aggressively waving the nationalist card. Unlike in the Rohith Vemula suicide, on which the BJP may have been on the back foot, on the JNU issue the party hopes to be on stronger wicket. The party was worried about the political fallout of the suicide by a dalit suicide in Hyderabad with the Opposition targeting the Modi government. The BJP now feels that JNU issue may dominate the Opposition's agenda in Parliament.
A BJP leader said the party would ensure that it had an upper hand when it came to opposing anti-nationalism. Shah's stinging blog reflected the party's strategy of making the most of the JNU episode to avenge the Opposition's charges of BJP being anti-dalit.
Shah said Rahul Gandhi has shown his lack of compassion and commitment towards India's unity and integrity by terming sedition as merely students' revolution and the action taken by authorities against such anti national stance as a harsh step to curb freedom of expression.
"This incident at the JNU is nothing but a conspiracy to turn this premier institution of country into a hotbed for separatism and terrorism and bring it a bad name. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi that given the seditious activities at the JNU campus, should the central government have remained a mute spectator? Should such a stance by the central government been in the interest of the nation? Are you not encouraging anti national forces by supporting such shameful acts of anti-national activities?" he asked.
Retaliating to Congress charges comparing the government with Hitler's regime, Shah recalled the Emergency during the Indira Gandhi regime. "I ask Rahul Gandhi, was 1975 (Emergency) a demonstration of Congress commitment to democracy? Was Mrs.(Indira) Gandhi not Hitler-like?"he said.
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