Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Yogi Adityanath and Vikramaditya Singh
At present, the Congress is in power in three states of the country, where it is in power on its own. Himachal Pradesh is one of these states. These days the Sukhu government here seems to be following in the footsteps of the ‘Yogi government of UP’. Congress party and Rahul Gandhi have always questioned BJP’s Hindutva agenda. Regarding the decisions of the BJP-ruled states and the central government, the Congress says that the BJP is pushing the agenda of Hindutva and wants to impose the ideology of the RSS on the entire country. Why is Himachal’s Congress government adopting Yogi’s Hindutva model?
Himachal Congress government minister Vikramaditya Singh shared a post on social media on Wednesday and wrote that in Himachal also like Uttar Pradesh, shop owner ID will be placed on every eatery and fast food street, so that people can avoid any kind of trouble. That there is no problem. For this, instructions have been given in the meeting of Urban Development Department and Municipal Corporation. Earlier, Himachal government minister Anirudh Singh raised the demand in the assembly to demolish Sanjauli Masjid in Shimla as illegal.
From the mosque to the nameplate…
Minister Anirudh Singh is considered to be the political heir of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and close to Himachal government minister Vikramaditya Singh. In this way both the Congress leaders have openly come on the agenda of Hindutva these days. The case of illegal mosques in Shimla has now reached shopkeepers’ nameplates. Now Congress can neither swallow nor spit. Anirdha Singh not only raised the issue of the mosque but also mentioned the intruders. He said that it has become difficult for women to walk in Sanjauli Bazaar. Incidents of theft are happening and incidents like love jihad are increasing which is dangerous for the state and the country.
Himachal government minister Vikramaditya Singh made a statement on the issue of Waqf Board that was different from the party line. Stating the need for reforms in the Wakf Board, he wrote in a post on social media that the best interest of Himachal and the people of Himachal is the all-round development of Himachal. Jai Shri Ram! Every law needs to change with time. Wakf Board also needs reform with changing times. After this, Yogi is taking forward the government’s agenda in Himachal.
Vikramaditya has issued an order to put shopkeepers’ names on food shops in Himachal Pradesh, which has recently been implemented by the Yogi government in UP. Regarding this, the Congress was seen attacking the Yogi government and the BJP by accusing them of creating discrimination in the society. But, now questions are being raised after a similar order has been issued in Himachal Pradesh too?
Politics of Hindutva in Himachal
Hindutva politics is taking a new turn in Himachal Pradesh, which has been untouched by the politics of religion so far. 97 percent of the population of Himachal is Hindu and the Muslim community is 2.1 percent. Muslims here are mainly settled in tourist areas like Shimla, Kullu and Manali. At the same time, there is some Muslim population in Kangra and Mandi districts as well.
Himachal is a hill state, where Hinduism has a deep influence. It is also called Devbhumi meaning the land of gods. Many regions of Himachal are mentioned in ancient texts like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Being the land of Gods, every section of the society has been paying full respect to the Gods and Goddesses here, but there has never been an election atmosphere or any politics regarding the Gods and Gods. But, these days Hindutva politics has heated up due to demographic change in Himachal Pradesh.
Concern for majority votes
Animesh Kaushal, a senior journalist from Shimla, says that the population of the Muslim community in Himachal is so small that they cannot make a significant impact politically. Congress is also understanding this. BJP and Hindu organizations have made it an issue due to the increase in the number of Muslim shopkeepers in Himachal. In such a situation, the Congress does not want to take the risky step of upsetting the majority class, which is why ministers like Vikramaditya Singh and Anirudh Singh have openly come forward on the Hindutva agenda. Local leaders in Himachal are more concerned about their politics than Congress’s national politics.
Vikramaditya on the Hindutva agenda
Animesh says that for some time Vikramaditya has been following the agenda of hard Hindutva instead of soft Hindutva like BJP. Vikramaditya has lost the 2024 election from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, where Hindus live at 98.16 percent and Muslims at just 0.95 percent. The reason for this was that the atmosphere changed after BJP’s Kangana Ranaut entered the elections and openly politicized the issue of Hindutva. A war of words ensued between Kangana and Vikramaditya Singh to portray himself as the great Sanatani. Kangana’s win has given Vikramaditya a big political boost and he has now openly started pushing the Hindutva agenda.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emerged as the new brand ambassador of Hindutva. CM Yogi doesn’t just talk Hindutva but lives it. The UPA has taken several measures like love jihad, cow killing, conversion, encounter of criminals, crackdown on CAA protesters and bulldozer operation, which have also been adopted by other BJP-ruled states of the country. That is why Congress leader and Himachal government minister Vikramaditya Singh is also setting a Hindutva agenda on the lines of Yogi government so that he can establish his image as a Hindutva leader. Himachal’s Vikramaditya was the only politician to participate in the Pran Pratishtha program at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Did Vikramaditya follow his father’s path?
Vikramaditya Singh, with full faith in gods and goddesses, credits the Congress with enacting the first law against religious conversion in the state. Even during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Vikramaditya had said that Himachal is Shaktipeeth, Devbhoomi. This is the land of Devi and Devara. The Virbhadra government itself introduced the Anti-Conversion Bill in 2007. At that time RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) thanked the Congress. In this way Vikramaditya is trying to show that his father Virbhadra Singh is also doing Hindutva politics.
At the same time, senior journalist Arvind Singh says that the way Vikramaditya Singh is doing politics, his father has also been doing the same in Himachal, but it has not been publicized. The Congress government is confused given the changed political equation and economic situation in the state. BJP is dislodging Hindutva politics from power in Himachal, due to which the Congress government is also on the same pitch.
Congress leaders are worried about their politics
Congress leaders are more concerned about their politics than the party and are following the agenda of Hindutva to save it. In Himachal Pradesh, no Muslim has ever become an MLA, nor has anyone got a chance to represent in the Lok Sabha. Recently, a few such incidents were witnessed in Himachal as well, in which activists of some Hindutva organizations targeted Muslims. In Nagarota of Kangra district, youths coming from other states and running shops were beaten up. After the Pulwama attack, Kashmiri youth were targeted in Palampur. After this, after the Shimla Masjid issue was raised, many other cases have also come to light.
Ever since the Congress came to power in Himachal Pradesh, the economic condition of the state has been deteriorating. This is not hidden from anyone. The state government’s coffers are getting depleted and the government is now struggling to fulfill the claims and promises made by the Congress to the public at the time of elections. In such a situation, the way Hindu organizations and BJP have created an atmosphere on issues ranging from Muslim population to mosques, Congress has now adopted the same path.
