In what appears to be a well-crafted plan, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) is tossing up ex-Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s remark on ‘Modi surname’ as an ‘issue of insult’ to OBCs across the country in view of upcoming the 2024 general elections in particular and assembly elections in some states in general.
Appearing as working with this ‘objectively’ crafted electoral strategy in the wake of the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after he was convicted in a criminal defamation case, the BJP leaders, especially those who belong to OBCs, have started protesting against Gandhi’s remarks on Modi surname in a planned way across the country describing it as an insult to OBCs.
In what appears also as a part of this strategy, adopted amid the Opposition's persisting protests against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from LS membership, the BJP MPs of OBCs also demonstrated near the Gandhi statue on the premises of Parliament demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his
remark on Modi's surname.
"Hindustan will not tolerate insult to Modi ji. Rahul Gandhi should have a shame, seek apology”, the BJP MPs demanded.
Some senior sources in BJP here said that Rahul Gandhi’s remark on ‘The Modi surname’ will certainly snowball into a big political issue to counter the Congress-led Opposition protest against disqualification and the accusation against the BJP over disqualification.
"The Congress-led Opposition are accusing the BJP for what happened to Rahul Gandhi after his conviction. But in reality, the BJP has nothing to do with it. Rahul has insulted us (OBCs) and the BJP should use his remarks to project it as an insult to OBCs", remarked an OBC leader belonging to the BJP.
On Monday, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi also said that the conviction of Rahul Gandhi over his remark on Modi's surname has been done by the court. “It is not the decision of PM Modi or the BJP. Gandhi has insulted OBCs and will have to pay a penalty for it”, he remarked.
But when the Congress Party along with other like-minded people started creating uproar over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi after his conviction, the BJP shrewdly linked the Congress-led Opposition protest against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case and subsequent disqualification from LS with the sentiment of OBC people ahead of polls.
Many senior leaders including union ministers like Piyush Goyal, Anurag Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri and others, have also demanded for an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on the Modi surname and his remarks about the state of democracy in India while issuing a speech in London.
“In India, 56 % of the country’s total voting population constitutes of OBCs. Gandhi’s remark on Modi surname, which belongs to an OBC, has badly hurt the sentiment of OBCs in the country. The BJP will take this insult before the OBC people. PM Modi has given a new social reorganisation to OBCs and now 27 ministers in Modi's cabinet belong to OBCs.
The PM Modi is the single OBC –caring leader”, remarked a senior BJP leader. Upon being contacted, the National President of BJP OBC Morcha Dr K Laxman also said that the BJP MPs, belonging to OBCs, will meet together on Wednesday with the national president of the party JP Nadda, to chalk out further course of agitation against Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Modi surname.
“Gandhi’s’ remark on Modi's surname is not a small issue. We are taking it seriously as a big issue that has insulted the collective psyche of OBC people in the country. We will take this across the country in the next one year”, Dr Laxman, who is MP in RS, also remarked.
He said that the OBC Morcha of BJP is launching a nationwide campaign taking the works done for the OBC people by the Modi government across 1 lakh villages to cover 1 crore houses of OBC people from April 6 to 14.
“The Congress has been insulting OBC people for a long time. Rahul Gandhi’s remark on Modi's surname was a part of the anti-OBC mindset on which the court pronounced judgement against Gandhi. We will take this issue of insult of OBC people across the country”, he said. He added that all OBC MPs of the BJP will sit together with JP Nadda on Wednesday and discuss this.