Reiterating its “Hindutva” card, the BJP has once again sought to keep away the minorities by making “negative offerings” for them in its manifesto for Telangana Assembly elections
By Syed Amin Jafri
Reiterating its “Hindutva” card, the BJP has once again sought to keep away the minorities by making “negative offerings” for them in its manifesto for Telangana Assembly elections. Given the saffron party’s track record in earlier elections and rabidly communal utterances of its star campaigners, nothing else can be expected. However, it is a bit surprising that the 66-page document does not mention “surgical strikes on the Old City” and “use of bulldozers to raze the properties of minority offenders,” as the party’s past and present state presidents have been threatening often.
The series of “negative offerings” may even scare away Minority Cell leaders and Rashtriya Muslim Manch activists of the saffron brigade. First and foremost, the BJP promises to “abolish the unconstitutional religion-based reservations” and increase the reservation for BCs, SCs and STs. Understandably, the opposition of BJP to reservations for socially and educationally backward sections of Muslims in Telangana is quite apparent ever since the SEBC Muslims were included in the Backward Class list under a separate “E” group almost two decades ago.
When the then Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh implemented its electoral promise of earmarking “five percent quota” for backward Muslims after the 2004 elections, which saw the rout of TDP-BJP alliance and consequent ouster of TDP regime in the State and the Vajpayee Government at the Centre, the “Muslim quota” was promptly challenged in the State High Court, which struck it down.
Subsequently, the AP government came up with legislation in 2005 for providing BC E quota and this, too, was challenged in the High Court and negated by a division bench. Thereafter, PS Krishnan Committee was appointed to examine sub-categories of backward sections of Muslims. In 2007, fresh legislation was enacted to provide four percent quota to listed 14 groups of socially and educationally backward Muslims. This Act was again challenged and for the third time, the AP High Court struck down the quota. The petitioners in all these cases, incidentally, had the blessings of BJP and Sangh Parivar.
When the matter was taken to the Supreme Court, a bench headed by the then Chief Justice stayed the operation of High Court judgement and allowed the four percent reservations to be continued in AP pending the disposal of the writ petitions challenging its validity before the apex court. After bifurcation of united AP, the four percent quota is continued in both residuary AP and Telangana.
Meanwhile, in fulfillment of its electoral promise, the TRS (now BRS) government in Telangana enacted a bill for raising the quota to 12 percent for the backward Muslims and 10 percent for the Scheduled Tribes based on the reports of the Sudhir Commission and Chellappa Commission and the State BC Commission and SC/ST Commission. But, the Bill is stuck up in the union Home Ministry for the last six years as BJP-led union government is “hostile” towards “religion-based” reservations for the backward sections of minorities.
The BJP’s manifesto 2023 also promises enactment of a Uniform Civil Code in Telangana. If the saffron party grabs power in the State, it would constitute a committee to draft the UCC “to consolidate and harmonise the personal laws” of all the communities in the State. The UCC would deal with marriage, divorce, property rights, succession/inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody and guardianship. Another law would be enacted to prohibit the practice of polygamy and polyandry amongst public servants.
Claiming that Hyderabad has become a “hub for religion-based radicalization and illegal immigration with many terrorist operations and activities having linkages” to the city, the BJP has promised to create an Anti-Radicalization Cell “to identify and eliminate potential threats, and sleeper cells of terrorist organisations and anti-India forces.” Police stations “where there have been instances of radicalization in the past” will be operated by specially trained personnel. 24×7 monitoring and awareness campaigns will be conducted with community participation.
Alleging that Telugu culture, identity and language had suffered under the Qutub Shahi and Nizam rule, the BJP assures to organise official commemoration of Hyderabad Liberation Day to mark the anniversary of annexation of erstwhile Nizam’s State to the Indian union on this day in 1948. History of Liberation of Hyderabad will be included in the school syllabi. A memorial and a museum will be built to recall the struggle and sacrifices made during the liberation of Hyderabad.
There will be yearly commemoration of leaders who had fought against “the tyranny and oppression of occupation forces” of the Nizam. Furthermore, the BJP would observe August 27th as “Razakars Horrors Remembrance Day” on the lines of ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “to pay homage to the martyrs of Bairanpally and Parkal.”
In what would be music to the ears of “Gau Rakshaks” in its ranks, the BJP promises a complete ban on cow slaughter in Telangana as per Article 48 of the Constitution of India. Besides encouraging bull breeders and desi cow dairy farms, the saffron regime will establish Gau Shalas at various places for taking care of the cattle. A legislation will be enacted on the lines of The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act 2020 to ensure that offenders found guilty will attract punishment with imprisonment of three to seven years or/and fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.
Will any minority electors venture to vote for the saffron party after these “negative offerings” now at their “own risk”?