'BJP has been consistent in cultural nationalism, Opposition only wants votes': Historian Kapil Kumar on new Parliament

With the Congress leading an opposition boycott of the installation ceremony of the historic Sengol in the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, senior historian Kapil Kumar appealed to the opposition parties to be more consistent in upholding cultural values. He pointed out that opposition leaders such as former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi make an extra show of religiousness by visiting temples and even claim to be ‘janeu dhari brahmins’ ahead of elections while disowning cultural and religious values as voting is over. “There has to be a consistency in your approach. The BJP right from its inception from its Jan Sangh days has maintained a consistency of cultural nationalism. Whereas these other parties only do it for votes at the time of elections. There is no consistency in that,” he told News18.

#NewParliamentBuilding: 'It is probably a damage control technique,' Firstpost's @ArunAnandLive

'BJP has maintained their consistency of cultural nationalism,' says Historian @ProfKapilKumar

(@Zakka_Jacob) | #NewParliament #Sansad #Sengol pic.twitter.com/oBsYtL7O7M

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The senior historian went on to assert that consistency in upholding cultural nationalism is what separates the BJP from the opposition parties. “We have a photograph of Rajiv Gandhi’s time when a saint in Mathura, he is hitting his head with his feet also. So occasionally if you start talking about cultural nationalism there is no value in that. This consistency is following cultural nationalism and just doing it at the time of elections for the sake of votes is what separates the BJP and the opposition parties because the BJP has always maintained its stand on this issue,” Kapil Kumar said. Meanwhile, senior journalist Arun Anand asserted that petty politics should have been avoided during such a momentous occasion. “It is very sad to see petty politics being played out on such momentous and historical occasions. The opposition should not underestimate the thinking power of the common man on the street. These were criticising this and saying all these things on Twitter. I think the Congress has put itself in a fix, it has shot itself in the foot and now it is trying to do damage control,” Arun Anand told News18. Senior politician Shashi Tharoor was among the few Congress leaders to view the government’s decision in a somewhat favourable light and Anand felt that it may have been part of the party’s strategy to play out a balancing act in order to avoid a public backlash. “I think Shashi Tharoor is known to have an open mind. There have been moments in the parliament when the Congress has walked out. But Shashi Tharoor has stayed back. Also, he has taken a different line at times,” he said. “Probably the one thing is that he has taken a different line and he is trying to balance the thing. It may also be part of a damage control exercise by the Congress. The Congress had probably realised that the stand which it has taken and the way it has been opposing the Sengol such as the statement by Jairam Ramesh which was followed with a boycott by the party has not gone down well with the common people,” he added. Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.