Experts in Karnataka link hijab, halal row to 2023 assembly polls

All aspects of Muslim lives, including the hijab, halal, Azaan and attacking small businesses by restricting space in Hindu religious fairs and temples, analysts said, are part of plans for the BJP government.

The Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not taking action against the systematic targeting of Muslims and other minorities in Karnataka is part of its larger ploy to mobilise and consolidate the majority in the run-up to the 2023 assembly elections, according to political analysts.

The Bommai-led BJP government has been largely linked to the growing instances of communal tensions, which include moral policing, hate crimes and targeting of Muslims and Christians. (Agencies file)

What started with the controversial statement on moral policing in October last year by Bommai, has since manifested into targeting the regular daily lives and culture of Muslims in Karnataka, who account for almost 13% of the state’s nearly 70 million population, they added.

All aspects of Muslim lives, including the hijab, halal, Azaan and attacking small businesses by restricting space in Hindu religious fairs and temples, analysts said, are part of plans for the BJP government.

“BJP is working towards consolidation of majority votes under the Hindutva umbrella. Until now, they would transfer blame to subaltern groups and claim it was some other elements and defend the Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organisations associated with the Sangh.

“But they now want to legitimise and claim it as their own,” Phani Rajanna, a political analyst and commentator on communal politics, said.

Since taking over from BS Yediyurappa in July last year, the Bommai government has been largely linked to the growing instances of communal tensions, which include moral policing, hate crimes and targeting of Muslims and Christians.

Sandeep Shastri, psephologist and political analyst, said that Bommai’s shaky position in the chief minister’s chair is also part of the reason why such right-wing groups are “emboldened” to carry on unquestioned.

“There are groups that want to take advantage of this (unstable position). It will be important to see what stand the government takes on the issue or the chief minister takes on the issue,” Shastri said.

“While these different groups that are making these demands feel emboldened with the current ruling party in power. It is also important to keep in mind that in various states where BJP is in power, many chief ministers have not succumbed to this pressure,” he added.

The pressure, people aware of the developments said, was not just to retain the top chair in the short-term but to be named as the chief ministerial candidate in the run-up to the 2023 assembly elections in which the BJP has been given a target of 150 out of the 224 seats by Union home minister Amit Shah.

To a specific question by HT on March 30 on right-wing groups and their actions in recent controversies, Bommai said: “As far as my government is concerned there are only wings of growth. There is no right-wing or left-wing. We are interested, and the central idea is peace development and security for the common man.”