Prophet row: BJP beseiged with anti-Islam backlash

New Delhi: The BJP thinktank in Delhi, which carefully guides and coordinates the party political activity, has been stunned into a silence with the avalanche of criticism from the Gulf countries over the anti-Islam comments made by its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The thinktank carefully coordinates effective dissemination of the party line of thinking on […]

New Delhi: The BJP thinktank in Delhi, which carefully guides and coordinates the party political activity, has been stunned into a silence with the avalanche of criticism from the Gulf countries over the anti-Islam comments made by its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The thinktank carefully coordinates effective dissemination of the party line of thinking on a variety of issues through press conferences or newsroom discussions or unleashing the trolls on social media. But the unending criticism from Islamic countries, including Indonesia which had earlier maintained a balanced stand on India, has now stunned the party hierarchy.

Perhaps, this is the first time that the BJP leadership was forced to put on hold its most ‘eloquent’ speakers not just because of the diplomatic backlash from muslim nations. A more important causative factor for this development was the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s unequivocal assertion that there was no point in looking for a ‘shivling in every mosque’. The series of events, just ahead of the BJP National Executive meeting slated to be held on July 2 and 3 in Hyderabad, seemed to have forced the party to make amends at least to placate the irate muslim countries.

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Party insiders disclose that Modi-Shah duo is now seized of many issues. On one hand is the huge task of finalisation of resolutions to be passed in the Hyderabad meeting. Insiders say that the party is finalising almost six resolutions, which include one on castigating dynasty politics, and the other on Indian economy. The other aspect engaging the attention of the top leadership is the finalisation of the name for the next Presidential polls. The decision on the next President of India is likely to be disclosed in a week. But before this, another important decision to be taken is naming the third election commissioner, before the presidential poll schedule is announced, the three election commissioners should be in place. Currently, post of one of the commissioners is vacant.

Two more issues engaging the attention of the BJP leadership is finalising the six candidates to be nominated to Rajya Sabha by the President and the appointment of chiefs of Intelligence Bureau and the Chief of the external intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). The chiefs of both the agencies will be superanuating shortly and their replacement is crucial at this juncture because of the anti-Islam controversy that refuses to die down.