With eye on early Lok Sabha elections, BJP shedding saffron image?

September 30, 2012

BJP-Saffron

New Delhi, September 30: While anticipating that elections may be held earlier than scheduled, BJP has been trying to soften its "hardline Hindutva" image in what appears to be a move to blunt the hostility of Muslims, and reassure its existing allies while reaching out to new partners.

 

The three-day session of BJP's national executive saw both party president Nitin Gadkari and veteran leader LK Advani condemning the anti-Islam film that has triggered violence in different parts of the globe.

 

Gadkari on Thursday cited Swami Vivekananda, whose 150th birth anniversary is being planned by the party in a big way, to condemn the film that denigrates Prophet Mohammad.

 

"It's wrong to spread disrespect towards anybody who is revered by members of a faith. We should with full conviction reassure our brethren belonging to the minority communities that we brook no discrimination or injustice in dealing with different sections of our diverse society," Advani said in a speech that was well received by the audience.

 

He suggested that doing so would help reassure party's potential allies that "they have nothing to be apprehensive about partnering with BJP". Advani also emphasized the need for broadening the NDA, saying that the grouping has to be transformed into "NDA Plus".

 

The remark acquires significance in view of the apprehension of an existing ally, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, as well as the recognition that the fear of losing Muslim support forces some of the anti-Congress players to maintain a distance from the saffron outfit. In fact, Advani's advice that party should undergo an image makeover to appear "secular" appears to articulate especially Kumar's anxiety.

 

The Bihar CM is apprehensive that the projection of his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi as BJP's choice for the PM will deal a setback to his assiduous attempts to woo Muslims away from his rival Lalu Prasad.

 

Regional players like TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, who are hostile to Congress, are loath to be seen in BJP's company because of the latter's "communal tag".

 

Though a handicap for the BJP, the "communal" brand works to the advantage of its allies, who cite it to justify their flexibility in choosing allies and taking positions.

 

On a larger plane, the same factor helps the "secular" rivals to seek to mobilize Muslims against the saffron party.


Comments

Hubert
 - 
Friday, 29 Jan 2016

Whatever might be your alternative, it's better that you simply
do a little analysis relating to the fame and customer help
provided by the binary brokers before you open an account with them to avoid any final minute hassles.

Review my webpage binary trading software review [Angela: http://s3.amazonaws.com/tradoptions/index/182.html]

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 25,2020

New Delhi, Mar 25: The total number of positive coronavirus cases in India have climbed to 606, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.
The total number of active COVID-19 cases in the country so far stands at 553, while the number of people who have been cured or discharged stands at 42.
Ten people have died from the disease while one case has migrated, the Ministry further informed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.
In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 8,2020

Aurangabad, May 8: At least 15 migrant workers, who were sleeping on the railway tracks while going back to their native places, were run over by a goods train between Maharashtra's Jalna and Aurangabad, officials said on Friday.

A senior railway official confirmed that 15 migrant labourers were run over by a goods train between Jalna and Aurangabad of Nanded Divison of South Central Railway.

The official said that the incident happened around 5.30 am on Friday when the migrant workers, who were on way back to their homes and sleeping on the railway tracks.

However, it is yet not clear from where this group hailed and where they were going.

Amid the nationwide lockdown, thousands of migrant workers stranded in several other cities have started their journey to return to their native places on foot.

The interstate bus service, passenger, mail and express train services have been suspended since March 24.

The railways has started running Shramik Special trains to transport the stranded migrants to their native places since May 1.

Till Thursday railways has run 201 Shramik Special trains.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 17,2020

New Delhi, Feb 17: Indian officials denied entry to British lawmaker Debbie Abrahams on Monday after she landed at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Debbie Abrahams, a Labour Party Member of Parliament who chairs a parliamentary group focused on the Kashmir, was unable to clear customs after her valid Indian visa was rejected, her aide, Harpreet Upal, told The Associated Press.

Abrahams and Upal arrived at the airport on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 9 am. Upal said the immigration officials did not cite any reason for denying Abrahams entry and revoking her visa, a copy of which, valid until October 2020, was shared with the AP. A spokesman for India's foreign ministry did not immediately comment.

Abrahams has been a member of Parliament since 2011 and was on a two-day personal trip to India, she said in a statement.

"I tried to establish why the visa had been revoked and if I could get a 'visa on arrival' but no one seemed to know," she said in the statement.

"Even the person who seemed to be in charge said he didn't know and was really sorry about what had happened. So now I am just waiting to be deported ... unless the Indian Government has a change of heart. I'm prepared to let the fact that I've been treated like a criminal go, and I hope they will let me visit my family and friends."

Abrahams has been an outspoken critic of the Indian government's move last August stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

Shortly after the changes to Kashmir's status were passed by Parliament, Abrahams wrote a letter to India's High Commissioner to the UK, saying the action "betrays the trust of the people" of Kashmir.

India took more than 20 foreign diplomats on a visit to Kashmir last week, the second such trips in six months.

Access to the region remains tight, with no foreign journalists allowed.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.