Praying to be secular

Vasundhara Raje8217;s handling of the Haj House issue has upset the Sangh; it8217;s the dilemma she faces in trying to woo all communities

Ever since she became CM Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje seemed to be in constant communication with the Gods. Every time the state needed a divine intervention to end human misery, she was at the doorstep of some temple or the other making a public spectacle of her prayers. Absence or delay of monsoons, excess rains, sometimes by road, sometimes by air, she was at every important temple. When the opposition faulted her for peddling Hindutva, Raje came out with a clever response. As she commandeered all her ministers to pray for an early monsoon at temples last year, she packed off Transport Minister Mohammad Yunus Khan to Ajmer for a similar prayer. This silenced her critics.

It is therefore natural for Raje to go ahead with the construction of a Haj House at Jaipur to cosy up to Muslims after facing flak from the opposition and human rights groups for withdrawing a case registered against VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia early this month. The previous Congress government had slapped a case on Togadia and placed him under arrest in 2003 after he tried to conduct a 8220;trishool deeksha8221; programme in violation of a ban order. The same police filed a final report on September 4 saying that Togadia8217;s speech was critical, but not incendiary. Obviously, this change of tune followed instructions from above.

The Sangh Parivar is on the warpath for two reasons. One, the 15,000 sq. feet of land, 3 km from the Jaipur airport, has been given at a token price of one rupee to the Haj committee. Two, the project comprises a shopping complex and a mosque. The Parivar contends that it would create a Muslim hub in a Hindu-dominated area. It is not opposed to the project per se, but wants it located in the Muslim-dominated Karbala area in the walled city.

It is common knowledge the protest has the blessings of Bharati Bhavan, the state RSS headquarters. The state government dilemma8217;s is best defined by the plight of Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria. An RSS swaymsevak, Kataria had reportedly gone to the CM8217;s residence after a word from Bharati Bhavan to advise Raje to call off the foundation-laying ceremony at the eleventh hour. Raje played one-up with the RSS: She successfully persuaded Kataria also to come along with her. Once at the function, Kataria hailed the project.

This development has given Education Minister Ghanshyam Tewari a long-awaited opportunity to take on Raje. Other dissidents have thrown their lot behind him.

Raje seems to be following the footsteps of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who always tried to reach out to the minority community even while he headed a BJP Government. Having addressed the Hindutva constituency for nearly three years, Raje too appears to be keen to profile herself as a broad-minded leader, acceptable to all communities. Time alone would tell if the gamble has paid. If she weathers the storm and manages to ensure the construction of the promised magnificent Haj House, she would rank taller. Else, it would be the first victory of her critics within the state BJP.