According to individuals with knowledge of the situation, JP Nadda, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gave party leaders instructions on Friday to refrain from commenting on matters of religion and culture and to avoid controversies with racial overtones.
According to a party official, Nadda engaged in a virtual conversation with BJP legislators on Friday and stressed the importance of avoiding the promotion of narratives that might be seen as polarising. He urged his party’s lawmakers to focus their remarks on the “development plan” of the Narendra Modi administration.
“He (Nadda) warned the MPs against presenting themselves as authorities on matters of race, faith, and culture. They shouldn’t participate in controversies or defend controversial figures like Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of the Bageshwar Dham, the official said while asking anonymity.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, and other BJP officials recently paid a visit to the Bageshwar Dham in the Chhatarpur district, which has been the subject of controversy due to remarks made about how India should be a “Hindu Rashtra.”
According to reports, Nadda advised the legislators that anyone planning a trip to Bageshwar Dham should keep it “private” and refrain from using the occasion to advance their political views.
BJP Lawmaker Manoj Tiwari was recently spotted performing on stage with Shastri and singing songs that praised the “Hindu Rashtra,” though Nadda omitted naming anyone.
The BJP has previously given instructions to its leaders to distance themselves from debates regarding religious matters and customs. The BJP leadership forbade spokespersons from participating in debates over religious matters after the party expelled Nupur Sharma for insulting the Prophet Mohammed during a television debate last year.
Prime Minister Modi gave party leaders instructions to refrain from saying things that draw attention away from the government’s development agenda and the effort the party and the government are making to ensure the saturation of welfare schemes when he addressed the BJP national executive committee meeting last month.
Another official who declined to be identified added, “Nadda told the lawmakers to focus on creating awareness about the provisions of the Union Budget, the aspects of the President’s joint address in Parliament, strengthening the party’s presence at the booth level, and organising sporting events in their respective constituencies.
