“Ram Mandir has never been a political agenda”: BJPs Gopal Krishna Agarwal on polarization politics
While preparations for the third phase of voting in the UP Assembly election are due to take place on February 20th, BJP is all geared up to retain power similar to their 312 seats 2017 election turnout.
Talking about its expected prospects, BJP says that the Yogi Adityanath-led ruling party is more than eager to keep the focus on the law and order making them a front runner in this election.
BJP spokesperson Mr. Gopal Krishnan Agarwal told Asiana Times that when it comes to states like Uttar Pradesh, law and order invariably becomes an important issue during the elections and that the Yogi government currently has handled the state in that aspect.
‘The way he has handled the state, particularly law and order, infrastructure and governance, all those issues are very important for Uttar Pradesh” Mr. Agarwal said
“Uttar Pradesh is one of the first five states in the country that is now at an ease of doing business with a set law and order.
It’s a state coming up to a top rank. So for the people of Uttar Pradesh, law and order is a first important issue and in that the Yogi Ji government scores very well. ” he added”
Listen to the whole interview of Mr. Gopal Krishna Agarwal, BJP’s National Spokesperson with Subbuthai Padma, Asiana Times
The impact of smaller parties
Back in 2017 small and marginal parties such as Apna Dal and Suheldev Rajbhar Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) proved to be quite the game changers with their alliance with BJP leveling the caste equation at play in the state.
These alliances enabled the party to garner support. However, the ongoing election has seen a different strategy from their front.
Mr. Agarwal has been in close line with the election proceedings and says that despite their influence smaller parties don’t have the vote bank as large as issues faced by the state.
“We got 60% of the votes in 2019. So we have sufficient margins to overcome all these hurdles” he said.
Additionally, Samajwadi Party had made it quite clear this election that they will ally with smaller parties.
This collision with RLD and Mahn Dal is set to give them more bargaining power, besides being able to reach out to communities outside the party’s core Yadav vote base.
When talking about such changes Mr. Agarwal said “Earlier in the last 2017 election and before 2012 Samajwadi party even contested with BSP they lost, even after contesting with Congress they lost.
So if they are now competing with RLD that will have some impact but BJP has the edge over all that”
The Amit Kaal budget
Addressing the criticism over the budget Mr. Agarwal said that no matter what the opposition views are, the budget this year was presented with the common man in mind, towards a steady goal of Amit Kaal in India “Our budget lays the foundation for making India from 75 to India at 100, this requires a strong economy where infrastructure, ease of doing business , support to MSME sector, production link incentive is all required, manufacturing is supported, defense procurement has been reserved for domestic production.
Also the corporation sector taxation had been reduced” he said while stating that these are indeed put forward while keeping the common man in mind.
The Jat vote belt and farm laws
Although the BJP received considerable support from the Jat community in 2014, 2017 and 2019, the Samajwadi Party is expected to have claimed that support due to the farm laws and its impact on the Jats, who are mainly farmers.
But Mr. Agarwal says the withdrawal of the laws has its own impact and that it will help bring an overwhelming support for the BJP, unlike SP who he says supported certain communities during the Muzaffarnagar riots “That is still fresh in their minds “he said.
Talk about the farm laws he says that the withdrawal will help get that support back.” Once we have accepted their demand, that gives them sufficient reason to support.”
“In this Year’s budget we have also allowed more than 2,37,000 crores to be directly sent to the farmers account through purchase of procurement” he added
Women safety and political representation
Earlier in September last year, the BJP government led by CM Yogi Adityanath spoke openly about women safety and the safety of cattle .
Stating that situation for women has changed over time with proper law and order in place.
Even statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showcased a certain decline in the rates, but the rates have also been attributed to the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But when it comes to political representation the number of women contesting is still very less.
On being asked about selective women attempting to serve as the benchmark of progress the BJP representative stated the party focus is currently on initiatives for the betterment of women.
“If the women want to be strong enough they have to be financially empowered, they have to be given a ghar jal where everyone is given water.
These are our schemes that are helping women.
Our schemes for law and order in Uttar Pradesh have benefited the women force, our swachh bharat mission, ujjwala yojana are all focused on empowering women, so that is the way” he stressed.
Accusation of polarisation politics
With the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, to triple talaq BJP is never short of accusation from Congress leaders like Sachin Pilot to Priyanka Gandhi, who have accused the party alleging that polarization suits both the BJP and the SP to consolidate their vote bases in Uttar Pradesh.
But the BJP representative insists that the temple is an ideological conviction and not a political agenda. “Anyone can accuse anything but we are for a huge Ram temple in Ayodhya.
So no matter what the opposition may accuse us, it is for them to talk about themselves when they talk about how a minority has the first right over the resources of the country.
That is actually polarized politics,” said Mr. Agarwal.
“So building a Ram Mandir is never a communal agenda for us and we are very clear on that.
Triple talaq, uniform civil code may also be called a communal agenda but those who oppose are the ones who are communal.
They are playing vote bank politics we are not. For us these are our convictions.
These are in our manifesto and people have voted for us. We have stood our elections, ” he added.
“The law of the land, the rule of the law will decide everything in the country” he added.
Interview with BJP national representative Shri Gopal Krishna Agarwal
