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India.com
3 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
BJP's ‘Nari Shakti' Rhetoric Faces Leadership Test Within Party
New Delhi: In Indian politics, slogans often do the heavy lifting. 'Nari Shakti', the BJP's rallying cry for women's empowerment, has been a consistent part of its electoral pitch, development agenda, and cultural messaging. From schemes like Ujjwala Yojana to the push for the Women's Reservation Bill, the party has repeatedly projected itself as a champion of women's rights. However, despite years of promoting 'Nari Shakti' as a key electoral plank and cultural identity, the Bharatiya Janata Party today finds itself in an uncomfortable position, lacking a strong, popular pan-India woman face in its top leadership or newly formed cabinet. While the Modi cabinet has seven women ministers, none of them enjoys pan-India popularity like Sushma Swaraj or other former women leaders of the party. This apparent disconnect between rhetoric and representation hasn't gone unnoticed. This gap has raised eyebrows among political observers, and as the 3.0 Modi-led government takes shape, a critical question arises: Where are the women? A cabinet without prominent women "Nari Shakti" is a powerful slogan, but slogans don't substitute for representation. The absence of prominent female leadership highlights how women are still perceived more as support systems than leaders within the party. This is not a new pattern. The BJP fielded around 16% women candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a modest improvement, but still far short of the 33% goal it has publicly endorsed. Despite a strong base of women MPs (31 out of the BJP's 240 in the 18th Lok Sabha) and growing female participation in election campaigns and grassroots politics, few women are elevated to positions of national political visibility or decision-making authority. As per several analysts, parties field women candidates in either safe or hopeless constituencies, rarely in the crucial battleground seats. Women are mobilized during elections, but not groomed for leadership. Experts feel the BJP's Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Act was a mere eyewash, promising 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, but delivering a paltry 31 women MPs in 2024, a stark decline from 42 in 2019. Experts say this is a part of a broader pattern where women are mobilized as voters and campaigners, especially in welfare schemes and outreach initiatives, but are not empowered as political decision-makers. This paradox, between women's increasing political visibility and their absence from actual leadership, has drawn criticism. Political Analyst Sandeep Choudhary said, "Making Droupadi Murmu the President of India, a tribal woman from a humble background, certainly sent a message to the world. But let's not mistake representation for empowerment. Women do not become empowered merely by holding symbolic positions. Real empowerment demands structural change; women must be given real power in legislative assemblies, in ministries, in administrative authority, and in decision-making bodies where their voice is not just present, but heard and acted upon." "Women's participation in politics should not be conditional upon the will or generosity of men. As long as male leaders continue to decide which woman should get a ticket, whose voice should rise, and who should be sidelined, empowerment will remain a distant dream. Women must be allowed to rise through their merit, their strength, and their vision, not based on what role the male leadership assigns them. Until then, this will not be true empowerment, but controlled representation," he further added. "Look at Smriti Irani, she is articulate, bold, and deeply connected to the ground realities. Yet after her defeat, she vanished from political prominence. In contrast, men like Pushkar Singh Dhami and Keshav Prasad Maurya were made Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister despite losing. This inconsistency shows that women are still viewed as exceptions, not equals," Choudhary further highlighted, adding, "Today, the BJP governs many states across India, yet how many women do we see as Chief Ministers? Just one, and that too, a recent appointment of Rekha Gupta in Delhi, after the fall of the AAP government. If women truly matter in politics, why are they missing from the top posts across the country? You cannot talk about Nari Shakti while structurally excluding women from leadership roles." Experts feel that when capable women are ignored, it sends a message to the next generation of women that their rise will always depend on factors beyond competence. "Slogans like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Nari Shaktikaran' are powerful, but they must translate into policies, opportunities, and representation. Until a woman can rise from the Panchayat to Parliament without systemic bias, until her ticket isn't decided by the male high command, and until her defeat isn't treated as final while men are resurrected, true women's empowerment will remain a distant ideal," he concluded. Ground-level mobilization, but no elevation To be fair, the BJP has effectively mobilized women at the grassroots, using self-help groups, local welfare schemes, and women-specific subsidies to cultivate strong female voter bases. In states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, women played a decisive role in the BJP victories. Initiatives like the Ladli Behna Yojana and targeted welfare programs have built immense goodwill among women voters, especially in rural India. BJP has mastered the art of symbolism when it comes to women, but that mobilization has not translated to genuine political inclusion. Women are present on the ground, not in the room where decisions are made. This dissonance, women as voters versus women as leaders, is now becoming too stark to ignore. Reports also say that women's representation is far lower than in many other democracies. The few women who do make it are typically from politically privileged families. Senior Journalist Rahul Lal slammed the BJP, saying, "The BJP's actions suggest that women's empowerment is not a priority for the party, and that the Nari Shakti slogan is merely a publicity gimmick." Making his views stronger, Rahul Lal added, "Women have been marginalized in every matter in terms of representation, and it's not an exaggeration to say that the BJP's Nari Shakti slogan has been a mere facade. The BJP could have given more tickets to women, but they didn't, and as a result, women's representation in the party has taken a hit. The Saffron party's promises of women's empowerment have turned out to be empty promises, with no substance or action to back them up." Regional contrast and missed opportunities Regional parties have offered a different model. In contrast, parties like the TMC, BSP, and even Congress have put women front and center. Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are household names. Meanwhile, the BJP, a party with a national presence and deep organizational machinery, lacks any woman who occupies a similar national leadership space today. What must change Experts feel that for the BJP to credibly claim the mantle of 'Nari Shakti,' it must: Elevate women into the party's highest decision-making bodies, including cabinet committees and national executive posts. Field women candidates in winnable constituencies and train them for long-term leadership roles. Move beyond symbolism, giving women policy authority, not just campaign responsibilities, and promote internal mentorship and leadership pipelines, especially from grassroots to national politics. Time for structural empowerment The BJP's messaging around "Nari Shakti" has undeniably reshaped how women voters see politics, as something accessible and participatory. But turning that participation into real representation requires more than slogans. Until women are given real power, not just portfolios but policy-shaping authority, the gap between narrative and reality will continue to grow. In an era where optics matter, substance matters more. The question is no longer whether the BJP can mobilize women. It's whether it is ready to be led by them.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Hindi imposition row: BJP not backing down, to ‘take truth to people'
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided not to give in to growing opposition from regional parties against its decision to make Hindi the default third language in schools across Maharashtra from Class 1. The party will instead 'set the right narrative' and 'take the truth to people' ahead of local body polls across the state later this year, according to party insiders. Mumbai, Jun 27 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Joint General Secretary Shiv Prakash, state party president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and others during the BJP Maharashtra core committee meeting, in Mumbai on Thursday. (@Devendra_Office X/ANI Photo) (Office of Devendra - X) The decision was taken during a meeting of the Maharashtra BJP's core committee on Thursday evening at the official residence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. Apart from its strategy for the upcoming local body polls, the state BJP's top brass also discussed how to tackle the issue of Marathi pride raked up by parties such as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which have claimed that the Mahayuti government is trying to impose Hindi in Maharashtra's schools. The BJP resolved not to fall prey to the trap and tackle it skillfully, according to a senior party leader who was present at the meeting. 'The leaders expressed the need to set the right narrative and convey the right message to citizens—that the decision to grant Marathi the status of a classical language was made possible only because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was decided that the party should take up the benefits of the status for the preservation and promotion of the [Marathi] language to the people,' said the senior party leader. The decision to grant classical status to Marathi was announced by the Union Cabinet in October last year, ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections. During the meeting, BJP leaders, including Fadnavis, said that the Opposition is spreading a misconception about the state government's decision to introduce Hindi in primary education, said the senior leader. 'Hindi has not been imposed as a compulsory language, but a misconception is being spread. The opposition parties, especially the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, are likely to play the Marathi pride card in the elections, as they have been doing in previous polls. While discussing the matter, the leaders pressed for the need to take the truth to the people,' added the senior leader. While presenting the facts to the people, Fadnavis has advised BJP leaders to be cautious when reacting to the Opposition's criticism. The party leadership also expressed dissatisfaction with the stand taken by its partners, especially the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on the issue. NCP chief and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has said that Hindi should be taught from Class 5. Apart from the chief minister, Thursday's meeting was attended by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, working president Ravindra Chavan, joint national general secretary Shiv Prakash, former state unit chief Raosaheb Danve, higher education minister Chandrakant Patil, and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar. 'BJP is a staunch supporter of Marathi, but it also respects the other languages,' said Shelar on Friday. 'We ensured the classical language status for Marathi, and Hindi has not been made compulsory in the schools.'
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
As competing Jagannath temple emerges in Digha, Odisha pulls out all stops for Rath Yatra in Puri
Somewhere in the 3-km long stretch of Bada Danda street between Jagannath and Gundicha temples in Odisha's Puri, Anirban Bose cranes his neck to see better over the sea of heads around him. It's been drizzling, and near him, the sounds of the ghanti (cymbals) — played by some priests dressed in red — get louder and louder. Suddenly, the crowd surges forward, their hands raised in prayer, as they see what they were waiting for: Lord Jagannath emerging from his 12th Century temple and heading towards the Gundicha temple in his chariot, Nandighosh. 'We are happy that there's a Jagannath Temple at Digha but nothing compares with the Puri Temple,' Bose, a native of West Bengal, says as the chariots pass by. 'This is the original seat of the deities, and it would be immature to compare the Rath Yatra at Digha with this one.' Bose travelled 500 km from Kolkata to witness the grand annual Rath Yatra, or the chariot festival, of the Hindu God Jagannath. According to Hindu mythology, the Lord and his siblings – Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra – embark on a nine-day annual sojourn to their birthplace, the Gundicha Temple. The deities remain there until the 'Bahuda Yatra' — or the return journey — scheduled on July 5 this year. For the temple town of Puri, the event is a grand one, seeing lakhs of devotees not only from Odisha but also the neighbouring West Bengal. But the yatra this year is particularly significant: it comes at a time when there's a row between Odisha's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the 'Jagannath Dham' – a replica of Puri's 12th century Jagannath Temple — inaugurated on April 30 this year in Digha, West Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee too was among the millions of devotees to join the annual religious event at Puri, which saw several VVIPs — including Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Majhi – pull the chariot. Banerjee has been in the temple town since Wednesday and was among those who were part of 'Chhera Pahanra'. A key ritual that involved sweeping the floors of the rath with a golden broom, this ritual is traditionally done by Puri's erstwhile royal Dibyasingha Deb. At the yatra, the crowd surges towards the ornate temple-like chariots being pulled by lakhs of devotees. As the three chariots – Lord Jagannath's Nandighosh with its red and yellow canopy, Goddess Subhadra's black and red Devadalana and Lord Balabhadra's green and red Taladhwaja – pass by, the cries of 'Jai Jagannath' rings out. The Nandighosh rath was pulled only a few metres Friday, with officials citing delay in rituals. As the crowds swelled in Puri for the yatra, the Odisha government pulled all stops, stationing 10,000 police personnel in the temple town for the annual event. Odisha's BJP Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also directed the administration to make this year's yatra 'incident-free'. There were reports about people complaining of suffocation and collapsing during Rath Yatra. Ambulances were called in to take some devotees to the hospital. When asked, Odisha's Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling blamed the humidity for 'one or two' devotees collapsing. 'The rescue team took them to the hospital immediately and their conditions are absolutely normal now. Adequate arrangements are being done in all healthcare centres,' he said. Meanwhile, the row over the naming of the Digha temple continued to fester — day before the Rath Yatra, Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati claimed the new temple was just a means of generating revenue and 'had nothing to with devotion to Lord Jagannath'. The remarks came over a month after the Odisha chief minister wrote to his West Bengal counterpart that naming the Digha temple 'Jagannath Dham' had 'hurt' the sentiments of millions of devotees. The same month, Puri royal, also the chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, too had slammed the West Bengal government claiming that the move amounts to violation of 'scriptural injunctions and long-established tradition'.
News18
5 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
BJP National President Announcement Likely Soon, But Uttar Pradesh Chief To Be Finalised First
June has largely been dedicated to Modi government events marking one year of its third term and 11 years of 'seva'. However, organisational activity has now picked up pace After a brief lull due to the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, the Bharatiya Janata Party has resumed focus on pending organisational elections. Key among these is the appointment of the party's national president, expected soon, but not before Uttar Pradesh gets its new state unit chief. Given Uttar Pradesh's political significance and the upcoming state elections in two years, the BJP is prioritising the appointment of a new president there, setting the tone for the national leadership transition. Other major states are also in focus. Gujarat, home to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, is due for a leadership change. Currently, CR Patil holds the post but he now serves as a union cabinet minister. Madhya Pradesh—considered the BJP's oldest organisational stronghold—also awaits a new state president, as BD Sharma's term has ended. June has largely been dedicated to Modi government events marking one year of its third term and 11 years of 'seva". However, organisational activity has now picked up pace. On Friday, the BJP appointed central observers for organisational elections in three key states. In Maharashtra, union minister Kiren Rijiju will oversee proceedings. Ravindra Chavan, currently working president after Chandrakant Patil joined the state cabinet, is expected to take full charge. In Uttarakhand, union minister Harsh Malhotra has been tasked with finalising the new state president. In West Bengal, former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has been assigned as current state president Sukanta Majumdar, now also a union minister, may be replaced. With West Bengal headed to polls next year, there is speculation that the BJP may appoint a woman as state president. Agnimitra Paul and former MP Locket Chatterjee are seen as strong contenders. Organisational elections in other states are being scheduled. Tripura elections will be held on June 29, with former union minister Pratima Bhowmik in contention. Andhra Pradesh elections are set for July 1, as current president D Purandeswari remains in contention along with BJP Lok Sabha MP CM Ramesh. Sources have said that in Telangana, a new state president is likely to be announced in the coming week. In Karnataka, sources suggest that BY Vijayendra—son of veteran leader BS Yediyurappa and current state president—may continue for another term, especially given the political instability facing the Congress government in the state. Out of 36 states and union territories, the BJP has successfully concluded elections in 14. As per party norms, 51% of state units must complete their organisational polls before the national president is elected. Incumbent national president JP Nadda, appointed in January 2020, has already completed his full term. He was granted extensions to lead the party through key events, including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is now expected to move swiftly on completing the remaining state-level appointments before naming its next national president. First Published: June 27, 2025, 19:14 IST
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
BJP MLA urges Delhi Govt to temporarily shut meat shops along Kanwar Yatra routes
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party's Jangpura MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah on Friday wrote a letter to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, requesting the temporary closure of meat and fish shops along Kanwar Yatra routes during the upcoming holy month of Sawan. In his letter, Marwah highlighted that the Kanwar Yatra is a matter of deep religious faith, during which devotees of Lord Shiva collect sacred water from Haridwar and other holy sites to perform Jalabhishek of Shivlings in their hometowns. He urged the government to maintain the spiritual sanctity of the yatra by temporarily closing meat and fish shops near the Kanwar routes. 'This Yatra is a matter of faith, in which Shiv devotees bring water from Haridwar and other holy places barefoot and perform Jalabhishek of Shivlings at their respective places. In order to maintain the religious atmosphere on this auspicious occasion, it is necessary to issue instructions to temporarily close the meat and fish shops located near the Kanwar routes in my constituency and across the UT for the duration of the Yatra, so that the religious sentiments of the devotees are not hurt,' Marwah wrote. He also requested the government to ensure adequate arrangements for the safety, drinking water, health, accommodation, and cleanliness for devotees. 'I request you to ensure proper arrangements for the safety, drinking water, health, accommodation and cleanliness etc. of the devotees during the Yatra, so that this religious journey can be completed smoothly and peacefully,' he added. Earlier, CM Rekha Gupta approved new reforms to ensure efficient and dignified service to Kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva). The Chief Minister said that Kanwar service committees will now receive direct assistance from the government. During a press conference, the CM stated that Kanwar committees will now receive grant-in-aid via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), thereby ending the old tender-based system, which was prone to corruption and the supply of substandard materials. She emphasised that, 'the move will enhance transparency and efficiency, ensuring better services for devotees. Only registered committees with valid PAN, bank details, and registration certificates will be eligible for the grant.' The Chief Minister further explained that Kanwar camps will be classified based on the tenting area and the number of days they operate. And committees will be eligible for a minimum grant of Rs 50,000 and a maximum of Rs 10 lakh. CM Gupta informed that 50% of the grant will be given in advance, and the remaining 50% will be released only after submission of the Utilisation Certificate (UC), verification with geo-tagged photos by SDM or Tehsildar, and complete audit documents. In the Kanwar Yatra procession, Kanwariyas collect water from a river and carry it hundreds of kilometres to offer it to the shrines of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu beliefs, Parshuram, a devotee of Shiva and Lord Vishnu's avatar participated in the initial procession. Devotees across the country perform worship, fasting and pilgrimage dedicated to the Lord Shiva. (ANI)
