How can BJP be secular if Modi is communal?

New Delhi, Apr 15: So Nitish Kumar has finally vented his feelings publicly. He does not want BJP to project Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014 elections. And what is the reason? The reason is that JD(U) wants a secular candidate and Narendra Modi does not fulfill the criteria to be declared a secular politician. But the question is - when the entire rank and file of the BJP is rallying behind Narendra Modi and is building pressure on the BJP leadership to declare Modi as its candidate for PM how can the party be different from Narendra Modi, in terms of political ideology and belief? When the BJP workers across the country and the party's central leadership swear by the political philosophy of Narendra Modi, how can Modi alone be termed as communal, if at all, and not the party? Modi is communal but BJP is secular – does this argument hold water given the fact that there is near unanimity in the BJP over Modi's projection for the top job in 2014 elections? Nitish Kumar says that the PM candidate will be from BJP, as it's the largest constituent of NDA, but that BJP candidate should have secular credentials. Again the question is- which candidate he is referring to? Which leader in the BJP's top echelons has ever disagreed with the political line of Narendra Modi? It's an open secret that Nitish Kumar has a soft corner for L K Advani and will not mind him being the BJP's PM candidate once again in 2014. Many political critics have even pointed out that Nitish Kumar is actually batting on behalf of Advani who is still harbouring Prime ministerial ambitions. In fact, Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar's bête-noire and a shrewd politician, said it in so many words. But how can Nitish forget the fact that it was Advani who introduced hard-line Hindutva as the primary political weapon of the BJP? It was Advani who launched the Rath Yatra aimed at creating public opinion in favour of Ram temple at Ayodhya. And it was that rath yatra which paved the way for the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya. When Nitish Kumar joined hands with BJP, was he not aware of the political philosophy of the BJP? Was he not aware that hard-line Hindutva had become the centre-stage as far as BJP's political philosophy was concerned? But he joined hands with BJP because he knew he can't fulfill his dream of ruling Bihar on his own. Was it not a compromise with principles for the sake of power? How can the same Nitish Kumar now say that he'll not compromise with principles for the sake of power? He has already done it in the past. Also, When 2002 riots took place in Gujarat, Nitish himself was part of the union government. Why did he not resign, like Ram Vilas Paswan did, after BJP refused to sack Modi as Gujarat CM, saying he will not compromise with principles for the sake of power? There was a time when BJP's political opponents used to drive a wedge between Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani by saying that only Vajpayee was secular in BJP and rest all were communal and Advani was their leader. But did Vajpayee ever disagree with core philosophy of BJP and RSS? Was he himself not closely associated with RSS? Today the same Advani has become secular for leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nitish Kumar. BJP's opponents, at that time, used to say that Vajpayee was a right man in the wrong party. Today same thing, but in reverse order, is being said by Nitish Kumar about Modi – Modi is a wrong man in the right party.Both these statements reflect a cleverly crafted strategy of creating fissures in the BJP. Be it Vajpayee, Advani or Modi – they never differed on the core political philosophy of the BJP. Political opponents of BJP have always come up with divisive formulations to suit their own political interests and Nitish Kumar is doing the same. Otherwise, how can a party be secular if the leader is communal? Nitish Kumar has all the rights to reject the candidature of Narendra Modi, if he has problems with him. After all, difference of opinion is the beauty of democracy. But he should not come up with lame excuses for rejecting Modi's candidature because nobody will be convinced. Nitish has genuine concerns of losing minority votes in Bihar as that community is still not receptive of Modi but that does not make Modi communal. Nitish Kumar, who is an elected CM himself, should not show disrespect to the mandate given by the people of Gujarat, third time in a row. Does he mean to say that the entire state of Gujarat is communal? Coming to Bihar itself, Nitish Kumar himself has inducted many BJP ministers who are closely related to RSS and publicly espouse Hindutva philosophy. Why does Nitish Kumar not drop them saying he can't compromise with principles for the sake of power? Is Nitish Kumar opposing Modi because he has aligned himself with that faction of the BJP which does not want to see Modi as PM or it's his own PM aspirations that is coming in the way of his acceptance of Modi as NDA's PM candidate? Whatever be the truth, the stand that Modi is communal but BJP is secular lacks substance and Nitish Kumar needs to rephrase and recalibrate his reasons for opposing Modi's candidature.

How can BJP be secular if Modi is communal?

New Delhi, Apr 15: So Nitish Kumar has finally vented his feelings publicly. He does not want BJP to project Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014 elections. And what is the reason?

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