After nearly four decades, the opposition is still chanting either 'Remove BJP, Save the Nation' or 'Defeat Modi, Save the Nation.' Four decades pass, yet the slogans remain the same. The goal remains unchanged. In the eighties, the opposition chanted, 'Remove Congress, Save the Nation' or 'Defeat Indira, Save the Nation.' After almost four decades, the opposition continues to chant, 'Remove BJP, Save the Nation' or 'Defeat Modi, Save the Nation.' Four decades' time is no less significant. But the slogans remain similar. The target remains the same. The struggle for opposition unity to defeat the ruling party continues. Only the characters have changed. Yes! Some have changed their hearts, and parties have changed accordingly. The roles of slogans have changed. The focus of politicians has shifted to voters. The priority of voters has changed. The role of politicians has also changed. Back then, the BJP was struggling for its existence, and now it's the Congress. Leftist ideology has faded away, and socialism has also lost its way. Caste politics saw upheaval, and parties like BSP emerged after a brief rise. But under the wave of Hindutva, all these gradually faded away. But this didn't happen overnight. Behind all this is a long story. If we analyze the story of change, it is evident that the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Temple played a significant role, transforming Hindus into a political force, breaking the dominance of Muslim votes, and altering the political landscape.
It was the eighties. The RSS devised a strategy to turn the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, which had been a contentious issue until the beginning of the 20th century, into a people's movement other than a bloody struggle and to give it the shape of a mass movement. Working towards awakening Hindus and uniting them, the RSS had perhaps sensed that raising the issue of double membership of some socialist leaders in the Janata Party was not an ordinary matter. Behind this was the concern of keeping Muslim voters happy.
The RSS had sensed that without creating a new political organization that works based on its vision, direction, and goals, neither its goal of 'Equal Citizenship Act' would be achieved nor its pledge of 'One Nation-One Emblem-One Constitution' would be fulfilled. Neither could politics be freed from Muslim dominance nor could there be a halt to appeasement politics.
The dispute over dual membership After the Emergency, elections were announced in 1977. There's a different story behind it. Most opposition parties came together to defeat then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, forming the Janata Party. Even the Jan Sangh (former name of BJP) had merged into the Janata Party. But shortly after, Madhu Limaye, a socialist leader who joined the Janata Party, raised the issue of double membership, demanding that the leaders of the Jan Sangh sever ties with the RSS. Despite arguments from Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Lal Krishna Advani, when Limaye didn't agree, the leaders of the Jan Sangh faction within the Janata Party formed the Bharatiya Janata Party on April 6, 1980. Perhaps, along with the emergence of the dispute over dual membership, the leadership of the Sangh had also perhaps sensed the outcome of this dispute.
