What is good for the state may not be good for the national picture — This is the trap the Congress finds itself caught in now.
Just a few days ago, the Himachal Pradesh government kicked up a storm as PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh announced that street vendors in the state would have to get themselves registered and eateries would have to display the names of owners. What raised eyebrows, however, was the timing of the decision as it came within just 24 hours of the Yogi Adityanath government mandating the same in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. The Congress and other opposition parties had attacked the Yogi government’s decision, calling it an attempt to target Muslims.
However, Singh’s announcement has left the top leadership of the Grand Old Party fuming because not only does it make the party look similar to BJP, but also takes the sting out of their attacks on the saffron party for targeting the minorities of the country — the fulcrum of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’ narrative.
Singh’s decision, which was based on a Supreme Court observation, earned him the ire of the top Congress leadership and though he maintains he was not summoned to Delhi, the bouquets he took for his meeting with the party’s all-powerful general secretary KC Venugopal could not quell the anger.
The minister was told clearly that his comments were unwarranted, against the party line, and the mistake must not be repeated. Sources say Singh did accept that the party comes first but at the end of the day, the sentiments of the locals matter most.
Himachal Pradesh has a 96 per cent Hindu population and for politicians, especially those from the Congress, playing the religion card — or even supporting decisions that woo this vote bank — becomes a political compulsion. This is why even though the Congress top brass skipped the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Himachal’s chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared that the state government buildings would be decked up and diyas would be lit to mark the occasion. Singh, in fact, had gone to Ayodhya to attend the event.
Sources close to Singh say he feels that it would be politically suicidal for him and his party if they project themselves as not being Hindu. While they insist the latest decision was not against any community, the fact remains that there is a growing concern that many ‘outsiders’ — most of them belonging to the minority community — are setting shops while locals are losing out.
Singh is not alone. Solan MLA and health minister Dhaniram Shandil too has supported the decision. Sukhu had earlier told News18 that the move was only to ensure registration and not target any community. But now, he too is toeing the central party line and the result is that the blame has been put on Singh for announcing the decision out of time and turn.
Everyone is aware that Singh is seen as a rebel. His mother has been a bitter critic of the Sukhu sarkar. The latest incident, where the blame has been shifted to the young minister, makes it clear that things are unlikely to be smooth between the two anytime soon. But will this rebuff to Singh help him politically in the state and make Sukhu look bad? The BJP is waiting and watching.
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