Threat on voting untenable

The spread of communal politics, with the hate that it brings as an intrinsic aspect, has just taken on a dangerous hue in Uttar Pradesh where a BJP leader, whose wife is contesting the local bodies’ election in Barabanki, near Lucknow, threateningly told the Muslim community earlier this week to vote in favour of his wife or face unpleasant consequences.

This irresponsible politician went on to explicate what kasht (pain) the Muslims may expect. He said the problems that might visit them if they did not fall in line in the election will go beyond municipal matters such as fixing drains or roads.

The meaning of this unvarnished threat is all too clear. Murder and mayhem is being promised if Muslims do not vote for BJP. Yogi Adityanath’s ministers were present when this threat was being given from a public platform, but no one bothered to restrain the speaker and contradict him.

Intimidation is crossing all bounds under the Yogi’s rule because he himself has been a loud proponent of threats against the minority community before becoming chief minister.

In the past, BJP leaders have not bothered to campaign in Muslim-dominated areas. Quite often, the BJP does not nominate Muslim candidates on its symbol, though under certain BJP leaders this trend changed somewhat. Former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee received the endorsement of the Muslim community. But the graph has changed since then, and it is now coming down to threats to vote in BJP’s support. It is not clear if this will in any way influence the goings-on in Gujarat, where the BJP is locked in a difficult contest against the Congress.