BJP undertaking social engineering again

The BJP under Nitin Gadkari is making a serious attempt to bring the Dalits, tribal people, and other backward castes back as an integral part of its organisational politics. The party reckons that unless it revives the concept of social engineering in letter and spirit, its growth will remain a dream.

BJP politician Madhav Bhandari said, “Our opposition to religion-based reservation is to safeguard the quotas accorded to the Dalits, tribes, and OBCs.”

In a step forward, the BJP, while continuing to swear by Hindutva, urged Muslims to accept a Ram temple at Ayodhya in return for a grand mosque in the neighbourhood. It was an attempt to portray a moderate face.

A senior BJP general secretary said, "Striking a balance to ensure that we don't deviate from our ideology while ensuring growth remains a formidable task."

But Dalit writer Arjun Dangle said, “The moment the BJP reasserts its ideology, it automatically keeps Dalits and Muslims away. It is not a question of rebuilding one masjid. The moot point is, why did they demolish the existing mosque?”

The leadership knows it is not easy to woo the lower castes, more so when the Congress is consolidating its base. But one positive aspect was the generational change at the national conclave, a source said. The average age of the 5,000 delegates was below 50.