New Delhi: Reinforcing its nationalism plank, abrogation of the contentious Article 370 was one of the most decisive political move of the Narendra Modi government 2:0, a consequence of BJP’s historic mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Among the achievements of the 100 days of the Modi government, nullifying Article 370 remains on the top. The government not only defanged the controversial Article inserted in the Indian Constitution, which the BJP and the RSS had been vehemently opposed to, but also strengthened the government's and the ruling BJP's nationalism vision. For the BJP, the Modi government's decision against Article 370 is going to be addition to its nationalism plank, which would be used in the coming Assembly polls.
The decision was hailed as the perfect example of direct democracy practised by the Modi government.
The exultation in the saffron camp over the Modi government's move has also rekindled the hopes of another core agenda of the RSS-led Sangh Parivar, that the construction of Ram Mandir is also not far away.
Not just the Ram Mandir, the way the Modi government tactfully managed to get Parliament nod for its decision, many in the Sangh Parivar are hopefull that even Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan will soon be part of India under the Modi regime.
Just days ahead of the abrogation of Article 370, the BJP-led government scored another achievement, seen as the government's masterstroke but criticised by the Opposition as a political move against the minority community. Pending due to lack of numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the Modi government managed to get Parliament's nod to the bill against instant triple talaq, which the BJP said was fulfilment of Modi government’s mantra of “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas.” The Opposition camp saw it as a step towards BJP's commitment of bringing in a uniform civil code, another core agendas of the Sangh Parivar but the government projected it as a gender equality issue.
Dominating it's presence in the political spectrum, amid a crumbling Opposition, the BJP also increased its membership to over 18 crore. This significant increase in the enrollment, including in Jammu and Kashmir, means a massive workforce, which will play a crucial role in poll related activities and spreading the government's message and highlighting its achievements. Even though the latest economic indicators are of concerns even for the government, the BJP claims that the country is marching towards becoming the third largest economy under Modi government.
