As Polls approach, it was anticipated the BJP would attempt to reap the benefits of the hardcore Hindutva platform along with the anti- incumbency factor working against the Digvijay Singh government. But the latest attempt by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) ahead of the polls is a blatantly crude political campaign centred around the hurt to ‘Hindu sentiments’. The focal point of the campaign is the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid issue, for which the Manch was set up to carry out an agitation for the monument’s ‘liberation’ in early 2003. The agitation had peaked in February and had seen a solution, still unacceptable to the Muslim community in Dhar, enforced by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Under this, Muslims continued to exercise rights to namaz every Friday while Hindus gained access every Tuesday. A jan jagran being organised by the HJM began on November 1 and will continue till November 15. During the event — apart from a dharam samagam planned in Dhar tomorrow which happens to be a Tuesday — pamphlets are being distributed to voters in the state. HJM state chief Radheshyam Yadav said: ‘‘Each district will see its own version of the handbill. This is part of our attempt to ensure the voter makes the right choice.’’ When asked why this was being done along with BJP workers checking voter lists, he said: ‘‘In some places, there may have been an overlap but these are separate programmes. Of course, people carrying out our distribution are from the Sangh, since we are a Sangh outfit.’’ And then he adds: ‘‘We are opposing this Hindu virodhi sarkar now in power in the state. Our workers have been harassed by this government that is responsible for Muslim tushtikaran.’’ But it is no secret that even Radheshyam Yadav is just a RSS puppet. He does not even know the name of his Bhopal chief coordinating distribution in the city, but it is being done by RSS workers. The pamphlets distributed in Bhopal leave no doubts about the campaign’s aim. The cover page has a picture of a semi-automatic wielding man with the statement ‘Madhya Pradesh mein jehadi atankvaad kab tak? (How long will jehadi terror continue in MP?)’ printed across. The pamphlet is titled, ‘‘Gau hathyaron ko puraskar, Hinduwon par atyachar (Cow slaughterers are rewarded, Hindus tortured)’’ and adds ‘vote aur note ke lalach mein Hinduwon par chot kab tak (how long will Hindus be victims of the greed for notes and votes)’. Under the banner - ‘yeh kaisa shashan .. yeh kaisa nyay (what kind of administration is this .. what kind of justice is this)?’ are photographs of the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid monument, one titled ‘mandir mein namaz (namaz in a temple)’ and the other showing police clashing with HJM activists inside the temple titled ‘Hinduwon pe atyachar (atrocities on Hindus)’. The pamphlet also carries charges which have been raised earlier by the BJP and never substantiated.
