NEW DELHI: Though the BJP has fielded
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur to take on Congress’s
Digvijaya Singh from
Bhopal
, its aim is to amplify the contest on a national scale. Egged on by its ideological compass
RSS, the BJP is all set to make the high voltage contest into nationalism versus ‘tukde-tukde gang’ narrative at the pan-India level in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
According to sources, after the Congress declared former
Madhya Pradesh
chief minister (CM) Digvijaya Singh’s candidature on March 23, the BJP toyed with the idea of fielding its former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
However, Chouhan declined stating that he did not want to be confined to just Bhopal but he would like to campaign throughout the state.
Subsequently, RSS suggested
Sadhvi Pragya
Singh Thakur’s name which was promptly accepted by the BJP.
The Sangh has made Sadhvi Pragya just a medium to fulfil its larger objective.
About the delay in declaring Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's name, the sources said the BJP deliberately delayed the announcement because they wanted her to get as less exposure as possible because she is not a politician.
Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh was at the forefront of the Congress’s campaign of ‘Hindu or
saffron terror
’ after the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing and 2008 Malegaon blasts. Both the incidents had taken place during the Congress-led UPA government’s rule at the centre.
While Swami Aseemanand was the main accused in the Samjahuta Express bombing, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Shrikant Purohit were held as the main accused in the Malegaon blasts.
Digvijaya Singh even suggested that the RSS was behind the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008.
The former MP CM released a book '26/11 RSS Ki Saazish?' (26/11 RSS's conspiracy?) in Delhi on Babri masjid demolition anniversary on December 6, 2010 and again on December 28, 2010.
On both the occasions, Digvijaya Singh launched attack on radical Hindu groups and called them perpetrators of majority terrorism.
He even linked the killing of Maharashtra IPS officer Hemant Karkare in the 26/11 terror attacks to the alleged threats the state Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief had received from Hindu extremists.
The RSS felt deeply hurt and anguished at Digvijaya Singh’s allegations and particularly the ‘Hindu and saffron terror’ charge.
Since then it had been waiting for an opportune moment to take revenge from Digvijaya Singh. It got the opportunity when the Congress leader was fielded from Bhopal.
Through Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP and RSS wish to avenge the ‘
Hindu terror
’ charge.
The sources said BJP will amplify the issue during the campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
In fact, soon after Sadhvi Pragya’s name was formally announced by Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Bhopal on Wednesday, BJP party president Amit Shah let the party’s intention known to all.
Addressing public meeting at Baramba in Odisha, Amit Shah said, “The Congress had defamed the country by alleging ‘Hindu and saffron terror’ and putting innocents sants in jail... The courts, while acquitting Swami Aseemanand, said ‘saffron terror’ was an imaginary thing. We are fielding Sadhvi Pragya against Digvijaya Singh, who had coined the ‘saffron terror’ term. I am sure the people of Bhopal will punish him and (Congress president) Rahul Baba (Gandhi) for defaming India in the world.”
At the BJP headquarters at Bhopal, where her candidature as announced, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur too talked about the larger picture. Warning those who had levelled baseless allegations regarding ‘saffron terror’, she said she would contest and defeat Digvijaya to restore the dignity of saffron.
The BJP is confident of winning the Bhopal seat which it has retained for 30 years. It has won eight Lok Sabha elections in the saffron bastion since 1989.
With over 26 per cent Muslims and 69 per cent Hindus, the atmosphere is likely to get polarised on communal lines. The BJP would hope to register a victory in such a polarised atmosphere.
No wonder, ever since his candidature was declared, Digvijay Singh has been trying his best to keep the RSS in good humour and woo the Hindus.
Last month he publicly declared that he was a staunch Hindu and RSS was a Hindu outfit. He wondered why the RSS has an ill-feeling towards him.
Earlier this month when MP chief minister Kamal Nath ordered withdrawal of security from RSS’s office at Bhopal, Digvijaya stood behind the organisation.
He said withdrawing security was not at all proper and requested Kamal Nath to immediately order reinstatement of adequate security.
He has been trying to appease all Hindus and Jains of the MP capital. He has been taking part in all the religious events and tweeting photos and videos of his participation in them.
While Digvijaya Singh’s immediate concern may be to win Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, for the BJP and RSS, it much more than that - to avenge ‘Hindu and saffron terror’ charge at the national level by defeating him.