Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday continued his attacks on the Congress and the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), saying that members of the bloc wanted to “eradicate” Sanatan Dharma, in a reference to the controversial remarks made by Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in September.
At a public rally in Mauganj, Mr. Chouhan said that a “nervous Congress” was now forming alliances with different parties as it knew it could not defeat the BJP. “They formed the INDIA alliance and the people of this alliance are saying that Sanatan Dharma is malaria and dengue and we will have to eradicate it,” the BJP leader said, asking the crowd if the religion could be eradicated.
In September, Mr. Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu CM and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. K. Stalin, had said while addressing a conference of progressive writers in Chennai, that Sanatan Dharma was like “dengue and malaria” and “needed to be eradicated”. “Such things should not be opposed, but destroyed,” he had said.
His remarks had triggered a political row, with several BJP leaders accusing him of calling for a “genocide of 80% of India’s population”. The Congress had to distance itself from Mr. Udhayanidhi’s remarks, with party spokesperson Pawan Khera saying that the party believed every religion and faith has their space, and no one could treat any particular faith as less than another.
Asking the public if they would let the Sanatan Dharma be eradicated, Mr. Chouhan said, “What will you do, Congressiyon (Congress leaders)? Many came and left but nobody could lift a finger at Sanatan.”
“On Durgashtami (eighth day of the Navaratri festival), it is our resolution that we will not forgive [those] who snatch the people’s rights,” Mr. Chouhan added.
While BJP leaders in the poll-bound State continue to appeal to the party’s core Hindutva voters, every now and then highlighting issues, including the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Congress has tried to play the “soft Hindutva” card through various promises, and reduce the polarisation of votes in the BJP’s favour.
The party waited till the end of ‘Pitru Paksha’, which is considered inauspicious to begin new endeavours in Hinduism, and only released its first list of candidates on the first day of Navaratri. The Madhya Pradesh Congress president and CM candidate Kamal Nath stated this several times, and also attacked the BJP for releasing one of its lists during the ‘Shrarddh’.
In its manifesto, the Congress has promised that the party’s government will purchase cow dung at ₹2 per kg from gaushalas (cow shelters) under the ‘Nandini Gau-Dhan Yojana’, and will open more gaushalas. In an attempt to counter the BJP’s Ram temple pitch, the Congress has promised to build the route taken by Lord Ram during his exile, and increase the salaries of pujaris (Hindu priests), among others. Mr. Nath has also been presenting himself as a “proud Hindu” for a while, and has been vocal about his beliefs.
The Congress is unlikely to hurt its Muslim vote share in Madhya Pradesh as the community is not considered as politically significant as it is in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The Congress has declared its candidates in 229 out of 230 seats for the November 17 State Assembly polls. The party has only fielded Muslim candidates from only two seats — Atif Aqueel from Bhopal North and Arif Masood from Bhopal Central.
