Special Correspondent
Amroha/New Delhi: The western Uttar Pradesh city of Amroha cast ballots under the cloud of communally offensive remarks made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The region has a significant Muslim population; and therefore, two of the three primary candidates are Muslim: the Congress fielded incumbent MP Kunwar Danish Ali, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded Mujahid Hussain. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) relied on Kanwar Singh Tanwar, an OBC candidate who had emerged victorious in 2014.
Voters in the constituency who exercised their right to franchise on April 26 (second phase of ongoing Lok Sabha elections) believe that being unsure of getting Hindu votes, the BJP resorted to communal polarisation and hate mongering.
With more than 40% of the district’s population being Muslim, the saffron party tried to incite animosity among Hindus by portraying the Opposition as pro-minority and anti-majority.
During rallies, PM Modi made provocatively outlandish comments against the Congress, alleging that the grand old party is planning to redistribute properties owned by Hindus to Muslims if voted to power.
It led the voters, particularly Muslims, to feel betrayed. “All the political parties — which are contesting the election are led by Hindus: Mayawati (BSP), Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Rahul Gandhi (Congress) and Modi and Adityanath (BJP). Muslims were not voting for a Muslim party. We had to choose among Hindus. We preferred a secular candidate,” they said.
Since everyone TwoCircles.net spoke requested anonymity, fearing a backlash, we are not naming anyone.
A young man, who makes ends meet from an eatery shot, believed that the BJP was scared of the possibility of Hindu voters defecting to the Congress because of the latter’s poll promises.
“The Congress’s manifesto is quite appealing. The BJP sensed that its Hindu vote base was shaken and the aspiring youth could desert it. As a result, Modi and his brigade resorted to hate speeches and fear mongering just to consolidate Hindu voters,” he said.
In Muslim majority constituencies of the state, the BJP is apparently banking on communal polarisation of Hindu voters and hope that the Muslim votes are split between the Congress-SP INDIA bloc and BSP. In Amroha, the goal of the saffron party’s campaign was to create a rift between Muslims and marginalized Hindu populations through communal manipulation.
In an attempt to inflame religious sentiments of Hindus, the prime minister called the Opposition “anti-Hindu” during a public meeting held here on April 19. He alleged the SP-Congress vilified the Ram Mandir (constructed in Ayodhya) and “Sanatan aastha” (eternal religious faith) and turned down an offer to attend the grand temple’s consecration ceremony in January.
He also accused the SP of demeaning Lord Rama devotees in order to secure a “vote bank” — a term that refers to Muslim voters.
“Are you all pakhandis (hypocritically pious)? Are Ram bhakts (worshippers) all pakhandi? Are those who worship Ram pakhandi? The INDIA alliance people loathe Sanatan (eternal religion),” Modi said.
PM Modi in the same speech also made personal jabs at Danish Ali, the Congress candidate, for refusing to chant the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ (Victory to Mother India) slogan.
“The Congress candidate even objected to the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan. Is it appropriate for someone who disagrees with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ to hold a parliamentary seat? Should someone like him be allowed to enter the Indian Parliament?” he questioned the audience.
However, the prime minister did not choose to mention that Ali was subjected to communal slur and sectarian insults earlier this year in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) at the hands of a sitting BJP MP — Ramesh Bidhuri.
Chief Minister Adityanath too attempted to utilize the communal card in his campaign. He tried to divide Muslims against other Hindu communities, particularly OBCs and Dalits, by citing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech on the rights of marginalized groups on the nation’s resources. “Manmohan Singh said Muslims have the first right to resources, where will our Dalits, OBCs, Khadakvanshi, Pal, Saini, poor and farmers go?” he asked.
To instil fear among Hindus regarding their wealth, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister also attempted to portray the Congress manifesto as being pro-Muslim.
“According to the Congress manifesto, Sharia law would be imposed if they are elected to power. Not Sharia, but Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution shall govern Bharat (India). Would you allow the Congress-SP to commit dacoity on your property so that it can be redistributed?” he asked.
Muslim residents of Amroha found Yogi and Modi’s remarks unfounded.
The reactions of Hindu voters of the constituency to the controversial remarks about wealth redistribution were not uniform. Voters who were already inclined to support the BJP agreed with speeches by the two leaders who hold Constitutional posts.
“How can you refuse to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’?” inquired one, while for others law and order is more important than inflation when it comes to voting. “The administration is strict, and the BJP has controlled gundagardi (crime). There had been numerous instances of looting in the past,” they stated.
However, the Dalits and OBCs while firmly supporting the BJP seemed a bit critical in their interpretations of Modi and Yogi’s comments.
“How can we be certain that the Congress will redistribute our wealth?” asked one. The other said, “There will be a national uprising if something like that occurs. People will not be sitting motionless with their hands shackled.”
However, both chastised Ali for not joining the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ chant. “We are Hindus. Won’t we say Hindustan Ki Jai?” they inquired.
“Better” law and order situation, pucca house, free ration and “improved” roads, particularly in rural areas, were listed as key reasons behind their support to the BJP.
A rickshaw puller claimed the BJP government was ideal for Hindus despite its many flaws. “It is the best party for Hindus,” he declared.
But not all Hindu voters shared the same opinions. Skyrocketing inflation and rising unemployment are a cause of concern for many. In addition to rising unemployment and inflation, some voters were also miffed by the stray cattle problem and the BJP’s inability to fulfil its pledge to raise farmers’ incomes.
A physician in rural Amroha named Harcharan Singh (who belongs to the OBC Saini community) said he treated people hurt by stray bull assaults on a regular basis. “Two people even died in the stray cattle attacks. A bull tore open a man’s stomach. He was rushed to Delhi for treatment. The family had to spend Rs 7 lakh on it,” he said.
Mahendra Singh said even though he followed all procedures, he did not receive the required sum (Rs 6,000 in a year) under the Kisan Samman Nidhi. He played off the BJP’s attempts to turn the election into a fight between Muslims and Hindus.
“If Danish Ali does not utter ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, it will not be a big deal. What is important is our representatives work for our welfare and raise our issues in Parliament. Muslims and Hindus have been living here in harmony for generations. There is no rift between us at all,” he added.
Tejpal Singh, a farmer belonging to the Yadav community, took offense at Modi’s remarks against Muslims. “How is something like that possible? Whatever Modi and Yogi said was false and bigotry,” he said, adding, “We do not fear Muslims at all. How on earth do they (the Congress) distribute wealth like this? Such venomous speeches were delivered to make the election Hindu-Muslim centric and divert people’s attention from real issues”.
The three candidates’ unpopularity was one aspect that cut across political divides and vote blocs. Danish Ali faced a great deal of anti-incumbency sentiment, as even INDIA alliance supporters claimed he never visited the constituency five years after winning.
Amroha was won by the BJP thrice: in 1991, 1998 and 2014. Ali, running on the BSP ticket in 2019, benefited from the partnership between the BSP and the SP. This time, the BSP tried to win over Muslim and Dalit supporters by launching an independent campaign with a Muslim candidate.
Of the eight west UP seats that went to polls in the second phase, Amroha had the highest turnout (61.89%). Only on June 4, the country will be able to know if the politics of polarization was accepted or rejected by electorates.