Union Minister Upendra kushwaha expressed his anxiety over the communal agendas of the Hindutwa groups like the Ghar Vapasi programs that could tarnish the image as well as the chances of victory for the ruling party.
He cites these reasons as causes of increasing unease within the government, which “damage” the NDA’s prospects and the failure of the NDA government in holding on to even a single seat in the Kashmir Valley. He revealed to the media that the only agenda of Modi government was development and that the ‘’saffron hardliners’’ should be allowing the government and the PM to do it. The fact that the western influences backing the present government is dividing the country along sectarian lines is upsetting the secularists and the loyal citizens and all the infightings are happening inside the party.
Kushwaha is apparently not aware of his senior Minister Smrithi Irani’s “developmental agendas”. The recently concluded Science Congress was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It had played a major role in the growth and advancement of science in the country. But the 102th event of the Congress witnessed plain misconceptions about the ancient scripts and unscientific and illogical beliefs about the evolution of scientific facts that arose from mixing mythology and science. Hindu hardliners are being placed at the premier positions of the main institutions like the Indian Council of Historical Research, Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla and Banaras Hindu University.
Institutions like JNU, ICSSR, IITs, IIMs and CBSE are all prone to sectarian agendas. NCERT director, Professor Parvin Sinclair resigned following charges of alleged financial irregularities, with two years remaining in service. She was in the midst of reviewing its widely used school curriculum and had refused to side with Irani’s sectarian schemes due to which a “high level inquiry” was instituted against her. Delhi IIT director R K Shevgaonkar quit more than two years before the end of his term. He was under pressure from the Ministry to release pay of nearly Rs 70 lakh to former IIT D faculty and now BJP leader Subramanian Swamy as his "salary dues" between 1972 and 1991. Girish Chandra Tripathi, an “RSS man”, the only qualification seemingly needed, was appointed the Vice Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University. The appointment of ICHR Chief Sudershan Rao ia another similar instance.
Kushwaha’s statement that the actions of the senior leaders “takes away the focus” from the issue of development could be substantiated further. The communal remarks, the hate speeches of the senior leaders and actions that hurt the sentiments of the people have not been effectively contained by the Modi government. He has in fact remained silent on all such occasions. The controversies surrounding Smrithi Irani’s decision of whether to change Christmas day to a holiday or not, had only recently been subsided. The Centre recently proposed amendments to the Forest Rights Act and Land Acquisition Acts that would favour the business tycoons; they could thus easily acquire lands for business purposes driving thousands from their homes. The voices raised against such political moves are strongly suppressed. The Green Peace organization’s foreign funds were blocked because they tried to oppose the displacement of 52 Adivasi villages. Green Peace campaigner, Priya Pilla was banned by the authorities from travelling to London to meet the British MPs to discuss the issues of Adivasi rights and coal mining. Looking at all the aspects above, Kushawaha’s statement that Hindutwa terrorism interferes with the country’s development, is baseless.