BJP’s New Governance Mantra: Punish The Sin, Not The Sinner

The national and the Maharashtra leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) needs to be complimented for being better followers of Mahatma Gandhi than the Congress, of which the latter was a leader.

Among the several teachings of Mahatma Gandhi is: Punish the sin, not the sinner.

Though a party devoted to Hindutva, inadvertently or otherwise, it has also adopted what Jesus Christ said during his crucifixion, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Though it is difficult for the BJP critics to understand this, those with higher intellectual and philosophical understanding can comprehend the moves by the BJP leadership.

Even when one tries to follow what is said by great women and men or to follow the tenets of religion, it is not an easy task, given the conditioning of our minds from childhood. From childhood, we have been told that those doing wrong or committing crimes must be punished or that God punishes such people. But higher human philosophy speaks differently.

There are several instances of adherence to such high thinking by the BJP leadership. The latest being the induction of Chhagan Bhujbal in the Maharashtra cabinet, led by BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Fadnavis has exhibited the largeness of his heart by forgiving Bhujbal, against whom the former had experienced verbal regurgitation both inside the State Legislature and outside. At that time, Fadnavis and former BJP Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya kept their word of sending Chhagan Bhujbal to jail. Bhujbal, who was sulking over his exclusion from the cabinet of the Mahayuti government in the state, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Ajit Pawar), was seen beaming with joy after he took the oath of office and secrecy as the cabinet minister.

Sometimes it is difficult for politicians to keep their word, though their intentions are good. On that count, Fadnavis and Somaiya failed to keep their promise to send leader Ajit Pawar to jail for his alleged involvement in a Rs 60,000 crore fraud in the irrigation department. The larger the sin, the larger the forgiveness; that is the rule. As a result, Ajit Pawar became the Deputy Chief Minister, while Bhujbal, who is senior to Pawar in age and politics but junior in the level of charges, had to wait for a long time to be forgiven and awarded a cabinet berth, that too with a not-so-sought-after portfolio.

Bhujbal brings with him the OBC vote bank, given that he has a large following in the Other Backward Class community.

The BJP leaders had also complained against Nawab Malik, who was in jail on charges of being ‘associated with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’. But the BJP did not object to his joining the Mahayuti partner NCP on his release from jail on bail.

The BJP is waiting for the Madhya Pradesh High Court or the Supreme Court to give its verdict on the Madhya Pradesh minister, Vijay Shah, who recently passed a highly derogatory and controversial remark on Colonel Qureshi of the Indian Army, alluding that she was selected for Operation Sindoor because she was “their” (terrorists’) sister.

Shah continues to be in the Madhya Pradesh ministry for his noble thoughts, and the party spokespersons have made public statements that the party shall go by the court verdict.

BJP leaders have raised questions, in the past, about Shashi Tharoor’s interactions with billionaire investor George Soros. The controversy stems from a 15-year-old tweet, in which Tharoor referred to Soros as an "old friend" and praised his global outlook. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri have publicly questioned Tharoor’s association with Soros, suggesting that he had personally requested Soros’s inclusion at a diplomatic dinner in 2009 when Puri was India’s Ambassador to the UN.

The leadership had also made a public statement about Tharoor’s “Rs five crore girlfriend”. Yet, the BJP had no hesitation in selecting him to be part of the delegation to go around the globe explaining why India carried out Operation Sindoor. Tharoor can be said to be BJP’s first choice from among the opposition Members of Parliament, given his vast experience in the United Nations.

As opposition, the Congress has been raising pertinent issues and questions, but the party has definitely faulted in questioning the government on its selection of Shashi Tharoor as a member of the delegation. It is a shame that the Congress, due to petty internal politics, had not submitted Tharoor’s name for inclusion in the delegation when the government had sought names from the party.

The Congress leadership is worried that Tharoor may cross over to the BJP, but it cannot deny Tharoor’s experience in foreign policy or international affairs, coupled with his eloquence, a much-required quality among members of such a delegation.

Meanwhile, there are many leaders from various opposition parties across the nation waiting to be rewarded by the BJP the way Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal have been.

The author is a senior journalist and media trainer. He tweets at @a_mokashi