Anti-Hindu and anti-national elements are at it again. They are criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party for inducting Sudhakar Badgujar into its fold.
Badgujar, an anti-national and a supporter of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim according to the BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), is now a reformed nationalist because he has decided to walk the path of Hindutva.
Members of the opposition parties, who are anti-Hindu and anti-national because of their constant opposition to the BJP and its stance on various national and international issues, as well as their vehement opposition to Vishwa Guru Narendra Modi, who has made over 150 trips visiting different countries in the world (Vishwa). By his trips abroad, he is spreading the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family).
If the world is one family and the PM goes about meeting leaders and residents of different countries, even if it costs the country thousands of crores of rupees, his meeting with these family members should be appreciated, as in today’s busy world, people do not have time to meet even their blood relations, including parents and siblings. The meetings are often confined to greetings over social media platforms and occasional video calls.
Many have spoken of the advantage of physical touch, as long as it is not a bad touch. So, what if Modi refrains from such practices at home? He does that in a big way when he goes abroad.
Burdened with so many problems at home, the PM does not get to laugh or even smile in the country, but it is good that the foreign trips are stress busters for him. Abroad, he comes out as a leader of laughter clubs. Rest and laughter are essential for him, as, according to his comrade-in-arms, Amit Shah, Modi works round the clock, 365 days a year, without a break.
Hindus accepted Valya as Valmiki when he was reformed. They read the Ramayana, written by him, popularly known as Valmiki Ramayan. Many have had uninterrupted reading of it for a week, once a year. Valya was a bandit, and nobody was willing to share his sins; even his family members were unwilling to be a part of his sins.
Sudhakar Badgujkar, who was with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) till recently, was flayed for his alleged links with Salim Kutta, an accused in the Mumbai serial bomb blasts and an associate of Dawood Ibrahim.
BJP leader and now a minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, Nitesh Rane, had spoken vociferously against Badgujar in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, showing a photograph of Badgujar dancing with Salim Kutta at a party thrown by the latter on his last day of parole. Rane had also displayed a pen drive in the Assembly, stating that it had the video of the party with Badgujar dancing along with Salim Kutta and others.
Dada Bhuse, a minister now, as well as in the cabinet of Eknath Shinde, also spoke vehemently against Badgujar and his alleged links with the underworld. Rane and Shinde called Badgujar an anti-national and sought action against him.
Fadnavis, who was then the deputy chief minister and home minister, in his reply to the House, stated that it was a serious matter and announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be formed to probe Badgujar’s alleged link with Salim Kutta and, in turn, with Dawood Ibrahim.
At the time, Uddhav Thackeray was not like the family members of Valmiki. He did not disown Badgujar and, in a way, stood by him by keeping him in the party. Badgujar was then the head of the Nashik unit of the party. He enjoys great support from the masses.
Over a fortnight ago, when there were reports of Badgujar meeting Fadnavis during the latter’s visit to Nashik, leading to speculation that Badgujar would join the BJP, Thackeray suddenly realised that he had links with Salim Kutta and expelled him from the party.
According to mythology, Narad Muni had played a role in making Valya into Valmiki by asking him to do penance. It took years of penance for Valya to become Valmiki. As he sat still in the forest chanting mara mara, which became Rama, Rama, an anthill was formed around him, burying him in it, only to be rescued by Narad.
Badgujar was reformed faster because he had Devendra with him. Within a fortnight, Badgujar was a nationalist and a patriot, and all his sins were washed away. If it was not for Devnendra, Badgujar would have continued to be an anti-national associated with Dawood and thus India’s enemy.
Everybody cannot meet Narad Muni to get purified. They have to wait for 12 years for the Kumbh Mela to take a dip in the Ganga to wash their sins. In this fast world, devout Hindus need not wait for that, they can join the BJP to wash off their sins. This has been endorsed by Nitesh Rane, who was quick to state that Badgujar is now walking the path of Hindutva. “If he is working to strengthen Hindutva, there’s no reason to oppose his entry to the party,” he stated.
Years earlier, the BJP had linked Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Prafulla Patel with another underworld don, Iqbal Mirchi. Patel, too, was accepted as a leader of the NCP (Ajit Pawar), an ally of the BJP.
The party also did not mind Nawab Malik, who was also linked to Dawood by the BJP leadership, joining Ajit Pawar’s NCP on his release on bail in a case of buying land belonging to Dawood in South Mumbai.
The BJP leadership should proudly announce that by getting such people either in the party or as allies, the party is weakening Dawood Ibrahim. Thus, it is doing great service to the nation.
The author is a senior journalist and media trainer. He tweets at @a_mokashi
