PM Modi cannot forgive but can always ‘forget’ insults to Bapu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally broke his silence and declared that he would never forgive party’s candidate Pragya Singh Thakur for insulting ‘Bapu’. Is he serious? If he is, then he should ensure either the withdrawal of Thakur from the fray or expel her from the party even at this stage by way of token action. But then the PM seems to be his usual insincere self. Didn’t he justify the candidature of this foul-mouthed, terror accused, defended her against terror charges, overruled objections within his party and imperiously declare that she would give a befitting reply to those who insulted Hindus by talking of Hindu terror?

When a union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde and BJP’s star candidate from Bhopal echo the sentiment that the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi Nathuram Godse was a patriot, it comes as no surprise. It has been known for a long time that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh hated the Mahatma and his philosophy. But now that BJP leaders have come out of the closet and have openly declared their admiration for the assassin, it is clear that the timing is not an accident.

BJP leaders first said that Pragya Singh Thakur’s statement was her personal opinion. Following the backlash, she herself grudgingly admitted that the Mahatma’s contribution could not be belittled. But she did not tender even an apology. What she said was that she had not intended to hurt anyone but if anyone had been hurt by the statement, she regretted it. It showed no remorse on her part. And when Hegde and at least one other BJP leader jumped in to support her, there was no condemnation from the Prime Minister or BJP President Amit Shah, the only two people who matter in the BJP.

Indeed, Amit Shah’s bland statement bereft of any outrage fell far short of a condemnation. The BJP president merely stated that the party had taken notice of the pro-Godse statements and they have been referred to the party’s disciplinary committee, which would take a call in 24 hours. Significantly, Shah did not even think it necessary to contradict Pragya Singh Thakur’s claim that her statement that ‘ Godse was a patriot, he is deemed a patriot and he will always be deemed a patriot’ was the ‘party line’ and had the party’s sanction. What is even more obnoxious is that BJP and Modi supporters have taken to social media to vilify the Mahatma as a ‘child molester’ and have welcomed the public debate Pragya Singh Thakur’s outrageous statement triggered.

Even a badly compromised Election Commission of India was forced to sit up and take notice. While it did seek a ‘factual report’ from its own officials in Madhya Pradesh, the Commission’s credibility is so low that almost nobody believes it is in any position to take any action. The only action worth taking, some might argue, is to disqualify her from the contest because she is clearly unfit to hold any public office or be a Member of India’s Parliament. Others might argue that the Mahatma himself would have forgiven her and have taken no notice.

There can be little doubt that the last five years of BJP rule have brought this country to such a pass. This is the period when Gandhian ideals have been given a short shrift and Gandhian ‘non violence’ was scoffed in favour of a muscular administration and jingoism and when mob lynching became a leitmotif. The Mahatma would have been horrified at the way the minorities, Dalits and the poor were treated during these five years and to see the rise in hate speech and intolerance.

The Pragya Singh Thakur episode confirms double standards of the Sangh and BJP members. They hated the Mahatma and adored Godse but never made a public admission before. They evidently now feel this is the right time to stand up and tell the nation of their true feelings.

Her voice is undoubtedly the voice of the RSS which is testing the water. With results of the general election due next week, the RSS cannot be oblivious of the very real possibility that the result may not be entirely favourable for the BJP. Only time can tell what diabolical acts are on the anvil in that eventuality.

What is a certainty is that both BJP and the RSS will be ready to justify anything. If they can openly and publicly lionise Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, they can be trusted to justify violence of any kind. One must be grateful for small mercies though and thank Pragya Singh Thakur for removing the fig leaf.