Why are BJP Leaders Reminding of Muzaffarnagar Riots leaving the Matter of Development?
Image Credit: Twitter/@Amit Shah
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh had initially started publicizing its achievements by claiming five years of development work and improving law and order, but as the elections drew closer, local leaders of the party Politicians and ministers from the central level are not only trying to turn the election Hindu versus Muslim through symbols like Pakistan, Jinnah, Taliban, Mughal, Abba, but also reminding the people of western UP about the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013.
It is a common belief in UP that whichever party makes an edge in western UP, it continues to lead in the future, that is, its chances of winning the election increase.
Door to Door Campaign in different areas of western UP
Apart from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, many big leaders including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh are currently campaigning from door to door in different areas of western UP. During one such program in Muzaffarnagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the people, “We have come to ask the people of Muzaffarnagar and entire western Uttar Pradesh whether the public has forgotten the riots. If you haven't forgotten, then don't make a mistake in voting, otherwise those who rioted again will sit on the throne of Lucknow. Till now not a single riot took place under BJP rule, but the rioters are behind bars.”
Also, while addressing an election meeting in Hapur, UP, adjoining Delhi, on Sunday, the Chief Minister of the state Yogi Adityanath said that some people want riots to happen again in UP. He said, “Those who were hiding for five years are trying to raise their heads once again. But after March 10, they all will be silenced.”
Yogi Adityanath
Image Credit: File Photo
Like Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath also had a direct mark on the Samajwadi Party government, which was the ruling party in the state during the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013. On 27 August 2013, Gaurav and Sachin, residents of Malikpura, were murdered in Kawaal town of Muzaffarnagar. After that there were several panchayats and then in September 2013, a terrible communal riot broke out in Muzaffarnagar.
Yogi Adityanath also had a direct mark on the Samajwadi Party government
Image Credit: PTI Photo
Other BJP leaders are also linking them with opposition leaders, especially Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, referring to words like Pakistan, Jinnah, Abbajan in these elections. Through this, he wants to say that Samajwadi Party is in favor of Muslims and BJP is in favour of Hindus. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav says in a conversation with a TV channel that he has no problem with this but the question is why BJP does not talk about issues. Akhilesh Yadav says, “We have no objection to the word Abbajan. This is not a wrong word. Our objection is that when we talk about laptops, talk about free electricity, talk about roads, they remember Abbajan.
Actually, Jats and Muslims are in majority in the western part of Uttar Pradesh. Before the 2013 elections, Jats and Muslims were united because of the Bharatiya Kisan Union and their votes usually went to the Rashtriya Lok Dal or its supporting parties. After the Muzaffarnagar riots, the hatred between Jats and Muslims benefited the BJP and not only in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but also in the 2017 assembly elections and again in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But the Jat-Muslim unity was once again established due to the farmers' agitation against the agricultural laws and it remains so despite the withdrawal of the agricultural laws.
The main reason for the BJP's trouble is that no other strategy can succeed in this area and Hindu, especially Jat voters can be garnered their support only by somehow showing 'fear of Muslims' and fear of riots. Although this tactic seems to be successful to some extent, but after the police action on the Ghazipur border on January 28 last year, Tikait's tears came out in the Jat community against the BJP government. The anger which flared up is not being compensated by these efforts of BJP.
Big BJP leaders may be distributing pamphlets and campaigning from door to door in these areas, but dozens of cases of showing black flags to BJP candidates, throwing stones at them and driving them away in villages of western UP have come to the fore. BJP leaders have been protesting all over the area for a long time and this protest is increasing as the elections are approaching. Voting is to be held here on February 10 and February 14.
Issue of Owaisi's party fielding a candidate is not being taken seriously by Muslims
Image Credit: File Photo
On the other hand, the Muslim community is not allowing any attempt to polarize the election to succeed. So far, many such cases have come to the fore through which a situation of communal conflict could have arisen but both the communities showed restraint and foiled any such attempt. Even the issue of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi's party fielding a candidate is not being taken seriously by Muslims so that it does not get any negative message from Hindu voters.
Common voters are also surprised that when students are agitating in UP and Bihar on issues like unemployment, how is BJP dare to raise issues like Hindu-Muslim? But perhaps BJP knows that when Jat-Muslim alliance is not cracking in western UP, OBC leaders from Purvanchal to West are against BJP and people are discussing issues like inflation, unemployment, lack of jobs. In that case, better than answering these questions, she might be able to turn people towards her by showing fear.
Western UP has a sizeable population of Muslims as well as farmers, Jats and Dalits. The BJP has been accused of trying to create communal polarization in every election in the region. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had started trying to polarize by raising issues like Kairana's exodus and 80% vs 20%, which is also being sharpened by central leaders like Amit Shah.
Samiratmaj Mishra is a senior journalist and has been a correspondent for the BBC for a long time. He is currently associated with German public broadcaster DW and editor of YouTube channel 'The Ground Report'.
This analysis is the second article in the series being made about the UP elections. In this series, the review of the political equations of the UP elections 2022 and the public's trend will continue.
