Modi government,s decision to confer highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to veteran BJP leader Sh. LK Advani who played a monumental role in spearheading the Ram Temple movement speaks volume of this regime,s commitment to honour Advani’s contribution, commitment and dedication towards this cause. Apart from being the architect and founding members of BJP along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani’s Rath yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990 catapulted BJP from two seats in 1984 to three hundred and three in 2019 a milestone for saffron party shunning Gandhian socialism for a Hindutva politics of cultural nationalism reaping huge electoral dividends.
An announcement coming in the wake of recently concluded Ram Temple inauguration seems to building the case for BJP as it will definitely no stone unturned in magnifying it beyond proportion giving it an absolute edge in convincing, mobilizing and galvanizing public opinion and sentiments burying all the hatchet with Advani apparent political mentor to Modi side stepped and cornered with Modi at the helm of affairs.
For PM Modi this makes up for an great optics so by keeping Advani at the centre stage be would like to earn enough of goodwill and credits for a probable third term as on many occasions Advani has not been considered worthy of a mention or a praise despite him being the charge of affairs for his parent party acting as deputy chief minister and home minister in the Vajpayee era. Though, criticisms have chased and haunted him like a shadow for the communal frenzy and discord with subsequent events of 1990 leading to the demolition and destruction of Babri mosque in Ayodhya on 6th December 1992.
Advani was quick to react to it by way of his political posturing visiting Pakistan founder Jinnah,s resting place in 2005 calling him secular inviting wrath of his party as he had to face disciplinary actions for refusing to mend his stance. Mellowing down the vitriolic substance of his firebrand Hindutva ideology Advani moderated his code and conduct over the period of time for gaining legitimacy of the masses falling short of establishing himself as their messiah it was Modi who take that seat revered, adored and decorated.
Modi by making this Bharat Ratna gesture to Advani wants to extract as much mileage possible which keep him in the race going past the finish reciprocating to the knitty and gritty of practical politics aptly reading and interpreting between the lines. At last Advani too deserves an audience!