CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janta Party's (BJP) National Executive Member Khushbu Sundar dismissed the notion that the inauguration of Ram temple could be perceived as a political bait, particularly in the southern states. She was speaking at a panel discussion on 'Poll Position: Who Will Win the People's Mandate?' at the two-day ThinkEdu Conclave 2024, presented by SASTRA University, in Chennai on Wednesday.
Chaired by Santwana Bhattacharya, Editor of The New Indian Express, the discussion delved into the potential impact of the Ram temple consecration on elections.
Khushbu stressed that she could not see it as a political bait, going on to admit that the "BJP is a step behind in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. We have not found a great foothold till now. But, there is going to be a huge change in the next six to seven years. And this election is going to be challenging for us. We would like to believe that we are going to make a huge mark in the upcoming elections in 2024."
Official spokesperson of the DMK Saravanan Annadurai asserted that while the BJP was looking at building temples, his government was looking at building temples of learning citing the example of the great library built in Madurai in 15 months. "If you look at this consecration, it is very clear that it was a political move. They wanted to go ahead with the consecration because they thought we would not speak about any other issue. So, the idea of the BJP is to push back every other issue of the common man. But, in Tamil Nadu, we have a government that prioritises education. There are libraries in every district," he said.
"In Tamil Nadu, people do not mix religion and politics. That is why we were able to ward off BJP in the state of Tamil Nadu. Though BJP in the last 10 years has made massive strides across the country, they were not able to make inroads in Kerala and Tamil Nadu," he added.
Annadurai said that in matters concerning temples, the BJP consistently portrays DMK as anti-Hindu while positioning themselves as the party supportive of Hindus.
John Brittas, CPI Member of Parliament (MP) from Kerala, emphasised the need to focus on restoring institutions and maintaining the sanctity of parliamentary democracy and federal principles. He shared concerns about the suspensions of MPs, him included, without valid reasons and urged that there should be a shift in the political discourse from divisive issues.
Professor Gourav Vallabh, national spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, expressed the hope that the idea of 'Ram Rajya' taking root will lead to the rejection of the BJP government.
Apart from unemployment rates, he highlighted crimes against women, questioning whether these align with the principles of a just and equitable society.
"The second pillar of Ram Rajya is that every woman should have respect. As per the NCRB data of 2022, every 51 minutes, there is a crime against women. Is this Ram Rajya?" he said.
Professor Vallabh emphasised the importance of unity in diversity and the need to discourage discussions that prioritise one language over another, be it Hindi, English, or Telugu.
"The essence of Ram Rajya lies in embracing every language in our diverse nation. We must champion a narrative focused on justice -- justice for the youth to secure employment, justice for farmers, justice for women, justice for all, and justice for the democratic principles our nation upholds," he stressed.
