Opinion | Congress' divisive politics: Undermining unity and progress for short-term gains
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Nov 16, 2024, 6:28 PM ISTThe Congress party’s election campaign has become so heavily centered on appeasement politics that the Jamiat Ulama in Jharkhand was compelled to openly declare support for the INDI Alliance.
By: Prem Shukla - BJP National Spokesperson
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is experiencing unprecedented progress, with the nation advancing towards new milestones of development and growth. The government strives to ensure that every sector benefits, fostering unity and prosperity across all regions and sectors. However, the opposition, rather than working for the collective well-being of the nation and its people, continues to concentrate its focus on self-interest. Instead of being a constructive part to the nation’s development, it continues to pursue divisive tactics, constantly coming up with new methods to sow discord within society. This approach threatens to undermine the progress the nation is making under a leadership committed to unity and development.
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In every election, Congress consistently focus on divisive politics, aiming to fragment society for electoral gains. A recent example of this is seen in the ongoing Jharkhand and Maharashtra assembly elections. The Congress party’s election campaign has become so heavily centered on appeasement politics that the Jamiat Ulama in Jharkhand was compelled to openly declare support for the INDI Alliance. The Jamiat Ulama from Lohardaga has written a letter explicitly calling on Muslims to support Congress and JMM-led INDI Alliance. This move is not just an appeal for votes but a deliberate attempt to stoke communal tensions, raising serious questions about the underlying political motives. By invoking the subject of the NRC and appealing to Muslim voters to vote in bloc for Congress-JMM, the Jamiat is stirring fear among the community, despite the fact that the NRC primarily affects illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, not the common citizens. This is a clear attempt to manipulate voters and potentially promote infiltration, with a deal between Congress, JMM and Jamiat to further their unholy political agenda. Congress' strategy revolves around dividing and weakening the nation for vote-bank politics. The party's real issue seems to lie with India’s unity, as it frequently aligns itself with divisive forces.
Recent developments in Maharashtra exemplifies Congress’ divisive approach. The Ulema Council requested the state's Congress president for reservations and Congress, as always, assured that it would take steps to fulfill the demand for a 10% quota in jobs and education. Also, the Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh has joined forces with over 180 NGOs in Mumbai, working within the Muslim community to increase voter enrolment and turnout, particularly in favor of the Mahavikas Aghadi. While the initiative claims to be about promoting electoral awareness and social inclusivity, the underlying motive only aims to consolidate Muslim votes to secure an advantage for the MVA.
Such moves serve to deepen communal divides, focusing on one segment of society at the cost of unity. Similarly, during Wayanad by-elections, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought support from the Jamaat-e-Islami. Without its reliance on appeasement and vote bank politics, Congress struggles to sustain its political influence, as its entire strategy hinges on deepening divisions within society.
During its rule in 2013, the Congress has brought in Waqf board law had troubling consequences, allowing the Waqf Board to unjustly claim properties, including Hindu temple estates and farmers' lands. Recently, the Waqf Board claimed as many as 40 acres of land around the Kanifnath Temple, asserting it as part of a Dargah's property, even placing signs to enforce its ownership. This unchecked expansion of Waqf control demonstrates Congress' willingness to sacrifice fairness and harmony for the sake of vote-bank politics.
The whole INDI Alliance often overlooks and even supports practices that destabilize democratic processes, especially in areas with high Islamist populations. The rise of incidents like the ‘Pan Card Jihad’ in Maharashtra, where the number of PAN cards exceeds the population count, shows an organized manipulation strategy to distort electoral outcomes for political gain. These PAN cards, which have also been associated with financial transactions, are part of a broader strategy to influence the electoral process. Furthermore, there has been a recent crackdown by ED in Ranchi, covering 17 locations under the PMLA, highlights the seriousness of such incidents. The raids uncovered fake Aadhaar cards, forged passports, illegal arms, property documents and machines used to produce false identity documents—evidence pointing to a broader network facilitating infiltration. The Congress and its allies hold some serious willingness to exploit vulnerabilities in the system for short-term political advantage, even if it involves putting national security at stake. Such tactics are well-known for the ability to distort the true outcome of elections, undermining their fairness and integrity of democracy.
Whenever democracy is discussed, the Congress party’s name comes up—not for strengthening it, but for undermining its very foundations. From disrespecting the core pillars of democracy to misusing the Constitution of India as a mere propaganda, Congress has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for the values that bind the nation. While the Congress claims to uphold the Constitution, it has evidently exposed that the copies of the Constitution they carry and distribute are actually blank inside—a fitting symbol and much like Congress’ hollow promises. Time and again, Congress has shown a tendency to make grandiose promises and declarations without substance, deceiving the public with words that hold no weight. Just as the empty Constitution copies symbolize an outward display without true intent, Congress’ promises have consistently been proven hollow.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge himself cautioned his party against announcing guarantees without factoring in budget constraints. While Congress frequently relies on grand promises to deceive voters, the party only misleads the public with hollow assurances that never materializes. This pattern of over-promising and under-delivering not only strains finances of the states governed by the Congress but also reveals the party’s tendency to prioritize short-term electoral gains over responsible, sustainable governance.
When it comes to the Congress party, there are no boundaries to their rhetoric. A nation can truly move forward when it honors and remains deeply connected to its culture and heritage. True progress is built on the foundation of the values that shape its identity. There are endless instances where Congress’ allies have made statements against Sanatan Dharm, yet Congress failed to take any action—let alone condemn such comments. Whether it’s Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks about sadhus or Udayanidhi Stalin’s comparison of Sanatan to diseases like malaria and dengue, Congress has turned a blind eye to such divisive utterances. Congress is a dynamic political entity whose agenda seems to change at will. One day, they exploit caste and religion to gain votes and the next, they attempt to create a North-South divide within the nation. Even Congress MP DK Suresh had demanded a ‘separate nation for Southern states,’. Their leader Rahul Gandhi had also argued and referred India as a “union of states” rather than a nation.
Where Prime Minister Modi is championing inclusive development and working for ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ Congress continues to rely on division as a tool to further its agenda. The party thrives on sowing discord and promoting anti-national elements. Congress’ agenda is rooted in division, not in the progress or prosperity of the nation.
Also read: Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed gets Lokayukta notice over illegal assets case
Congress party lacks substantive issues to address which is reflected in a longstanding pattern in the party’s politics over decades. With no concrete agenda for development or progress, Congress has resorted yet again to divisive tactics in the ongoing elections, aiming to manipulate voters by stirring divisions along lines of caste, community, religion and region. Rather than focusing on genuine subjects that impact people’s lives, Congress and its allies are singularly focused on appeasing their vote bank, no matter the cost. This willingness to exploit social divides and go to any lengths to retain power exposes Congress’ disregard for unity and real progress.
Such divisive tactics brings no benefit to Congress and certainly will not increase their share of seats. The party is already on a steady decline and by clinging to outdated, divisive politics, it risks alienating itself even further from the people. In today’s India, citizens place their trust in PM Modi’s development-driven leadership, which is focused on unity and progress—not in Congress’ divisive, ‘divide and rule’ approach. PM Modi's slogan, "Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai," resonates now more than ever, as it highlights the vital importance of unity in the face of divisive forces willing to sacrifice national cohesion merely for political gain. Congress’ persistence in pursuing dangerous strategies only serves to distance it further from an electorate that now demands genuine progress and inclusive governance.
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