The saffron smear

Islam and Islamism meant to denote the distinction between the religion and its political uses and abuses,perhaps some friction over terminology is only to be expected,but the debate seems to end there for the BJP. Theres no denying that the phenomenon exists,and must be fought. The BJPs complaint elides the issue,and this position is as hollow as of those who interpret the opposition to radical Islamist groups as an affront to the entire Muslim community.

The party would do better to acknowledge the seriousness of terrorist acts that draw sustenance from some angry variant of Hindu nationalism,even as it dissociates its own beliefs from theirs. And though the party initially blew the Malegaon episode,maligning investigative agencies and defending the accused,it has finessed its approach since and stayed silent,even as radical Hindu organisations were suspected to have engineered the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sharif bombings. Recently,the RSS expressed its worries about the rising currency of Hindu terror and admitted it was searching for a coherent response. The BJP,for its own sake,must try and understand the roots and ramifications of the problem,and commit to stamping it out. Rather than viewing the home ministers alert as an attempt to sabotage its brand,the BJP should use this moment to foreground its own responsible politics.

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