“Loya toh bahana hai
Misra ko dhamkana hai
Hindu ko sataana hai
Mandir nahin banana hai”
So why does the Congress really want to impeach the CJI? Let us call a spade a spade. The idea of the so called bid by the Congress-led opposition parties to impeach the CJI is to colour the credibility of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Mr Dipak Mishra, to perhaps….saffron? This is because he showed conviction to hear the ever so pending matter of Ram Janmbhoomi and bring it to a logical conclusion. The CJI also said that he would hear the case as a plain simple title dispute and therefore shun any communal connotations and emotions to the case. Now even if he passes an order in favour of the Hindus, his credibility to deliver bipartisan justice has already been dented by the opposition. And if he does not, then Congress claims victory for keeping the Chief Justice of India in its brief for passing their vote. Even this already-failed attempt of the Congress-led group to impeach is perhaps signaling its reassurance to their traditional minority vote bank of their age old loyalty being intact. This motive is further confirmed when they start targeting a judge so fiercely who also happens to be a Brahmin.
With Modi in Centre, upper castes were only further solidified with the caste engineering of Amit Shah at the helm of their state leadership in Uttar Pradesh(UP). Congress, SP and BSP have realized that they cannot break the solidarity of the upper caste votes which has often been loyal to the BJP. Congress miserably failed in the last UP elections with its futile attempt to woo the Brahmin vote. Because if you remember correctly, the Congress started its UP campaign by trying to bring Sheila Dixit back from retirement and other upper caste leaders to break the 10% Brahmin vote share that the BJP holds.
Unfortunately, Sheila Dixit had already played her innings and the Bahugunas broke away from the Congress leaving them hanging to dry in the upper caste vote section. When the BSP came into solid majority in 2007, thanks to Mishraji (Not Dipak, but her very own Satish Mishra), who helped her get Brahmin votes for the first time, have now been declared defunct by the BJP for the last two times. They have instead decided to try and persuade their traditional vote banks which have openly swung in favour of the BJP in the previous two elections. What better way to do it than maligning a Hindu judge in the Ram Janmbhoomi issue, and even better if he is a Brahmin. Master stroke, one may think. Not yet. BJP is yet to play the ball in its metaphorical court.
PM Modi is devoid of a media-friendly lobby which could do their bidding and annul any embarrassment from the Congress side every night on TV debates. Therefore the BJP has until now, very carefully played its game, even if it has cost them a few rounds on a table which is not exactly political. Like this table, a judicial one. PM Modi’s idea is clear. Do not come in any open political confrontation with anybody, for or against, any other constitutional wing, especially the Judiciary. It is very important that the doctrine of arm’s length be maintained between the Government and the Judiciary, and even more so since this has so far been maintained. Would this neutral approach by any means disenfranchise the consolidated Hindu vote from the BJP? Not likely.
Everybody is clear on the stance of PM Modi on the issue of Ram Mandir. Everybody who votes for the BJP is also equally clear about the stance of the BJP on the issue of Ram Mandir. Nothing has changed. Of course, if anybody tries to embarrass them on their resolve on this issue, they retaliate with such unmistakable vigour and unapologetic passion that it automatically conveys to their core electorate that they have neither forgotten nor have they given up on the cause. With this conviction they subtly repose their support in the Hindus, that it is no more a question of “whether if” but “when” the Mandir will be made.
All this fiasco to impeach the CJI is an attempt to force PM Modi into playing the ultra-Hindu card which would lead to automatic polarization. This would work for the Congress and other left parties to revive their electoral relevance. More than the BJP, the Hindu is aware that it is only a matter of time that the Mandir will be made. All the stake holders are aware that two-thirds of the land is already with the Hindus. Now they are bargaining and back channeling very hard for the rest while the adjudication is pending. Some of the Muslim groups are already giving in to the negotiations, rest are still contemplating. Irrespective of the negotiations, they are all more than happy for the Supreme Court to decide the matter. Either this way or that, whether they are successful in their bid to impeach the CJI or not, the mandir will be made.
PM Modi is busy gaining importance on the world forum on the basis of his Development model. There is a very bleak chance of getting any statement out of him, let alone on the CJI, which the opposition through its media setup is very desperate to take advantage of. This is making the Congress led opposition desperate as the BJP has not yet fallen into their trap of communalizing the electorate. The BJP are quietly letting the Hindus observe what is happening and sticking to Modi’s proud-Indian-pro-development stance. Congress, with such a strong anti-Hindu positioning, may only officially bring its status to a regional party in the upcoming general elections.
The “thousand cuts” strategy of the Congress has not gotten them any political advantage as yet, because the BJP is only getting stronger by every passing election. The diminishing political potency of the Congress and its convenient allies has left them with no option but to surrogate their attack through other Constitutional establishments, at the cost of conveniently being labeled anti-Hindu.