Advani’s Hindutva Blueprint: The Untold Story of How BJP’s Architect Paved the Way to Victory for PM Modi!

Advani’s Hindutva Blueprint: Modi government will honor veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani with ‘Bharat Ratna’. Advani’s role is considered important in strengthening BJP. At one time Advani showed BJP the path of Hindutva which became the path of victory for Narendra Modi, let us know how?

If we talk about the initial phase of BJP, in 1984 BJP had got only 2 seats in the Lok Sabha. About two years later, in 1986, BJP made Lal Krishna Advani the national president of the party and Murli Manohar Joshi became a part of his team as the national general secretary.

RSS worker Joshi was also a lecturer in Physics. At that time, these BJP leaders had supported VHP’s demand for Ram temple in Ayodhya. After this, BJP’s political ground started getting stronger.

In 1989, BJP formally supported the demand for Ram temple

BJP had formally supported VHP’s demand for Ram Temple in its Palampur session in June 1989 , which had angered senior party leader Jaswant Singh. After this support, there was a big change in the ideology and politics of BJP. It turned from the ideology of Gandhian socialism towards Hindutva. After this many big political developments started happening. 

Prime Minister VP Singh had announced on August 7, 1990 that he would implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). BJP was afraid about this decision that it might harm Hindu unity which was gradually being prepared for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

After the announcement of the Mandal Commission, a meeting was called by RAS on August 26, 1990 to garner support for VHP’s program for the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. In this, the working capacity of Lal Krishna Advani was recognised. To garner support for this, Rath Yatra was started from Somnath to Ayodhya on September 25, 1990. After this, the demand for construction of a grand Ram temple intensified in the country. Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi had helped in organizing the Gujarat visit. 

The first meeting on the planning of Ram Mandir movement was held in 1980.

According to the report of Indian Express, Sheshadri Chari, former editor of Organiser, as saying that it is a misconception that the Yatra planning of the Ram Mandir movement was a reaction to the recommendations of the Mandal Commission.

The first meeting was held by the RSS in the year 1980 to plan the Ram Mandir movement. Moropant Pingle was responsible for formulating the strategy behind this movement. Events like Ganga Mata Yatra and brick laying were organized. Due to which LK Advani’s Rath Yatra was probably the fourth event in this series. 

LK Advani came to the center of national politics through Rath Yatra. 

The Rath Yatra received tremendous response from the common people. Riots also broke out at many places. With this, LK Advani came completely to the center of national politics. Due to all these developments, BJP decided that if Advani was arrested, it would withdraw support from the VP Singh government, but what happened was what BJP feared.

Advani was arrested on October 22, 1990 in Samastipur, Bihar. At that time there was Lalu Prasad Yadav’s government in Bihar. At that time he was taken to the guest house located in Dumka (now in Jharkhand). After this, BJP withdrew support to VP Singh government and the central government fell.

During this time, on the proposed date of 30th October, the police opened fire in Ayodhya to stop Kar Sevaks (Hindutva volunteers) from attacking the mosque. At that time the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was Mulayam Singh Yadav.

BJP performed better in Lok Sabha elections 

After this, the command of National President of BJP was handed over to Murli Manohar Joshi in February 1991 after completion of Advani’s two terms. BJP performed better in the loksabha elections. Its Lok Sabha seats increased from 85 to 120 and vote share increased from 11 percent to 20 percent, but after the completion of the first phase of the elections to be held in 3 phases, Congress got sympathy due to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao. A minority government of the country was formed under the leadership of.  

BJP had given the slogan ‘The temple will be built here’ in 1991.  

Author Vinay Sitapati had written in his book ‘Jugalbandi’, BJP Chief Joshi made his very close friend Kalyan Singh the CM of UP in June 1991. Soon after, the new Chief Minister of UP and BJP National President MM Joshi visited Ayodhya amid slogans of ‘the temple will be built here’.

The Kalyan Singh-led BJP state government acquired 2.77 acres of land around Babri Masjid and handed it over to Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). After this, incidents happened one after the other which continued till the Babri demolition incident on December 6, 1992.  

BJP expressed more confidence in Atal Bihari Vajpayee 

Recalling Advani’s words, Sheshadri Chari said, “I wanted the dilapidated structure to be removed but not in this way.” After all this, because of senior BJP leader Advani, the party’s support base increased but his tenure was very short. The BJP expressed more confidence in its liberal face Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee was seen playing an important role in uniting the BJP alliance between 1998 and 2004.