Congress to seek feedback on its ‘anti-Hindu’ perception

[diga]

Congress will ask its cadre if the party is perceived as "anti-Hindu", seeking views on what has been flagged by some senior leaders as a vulnerability that cost it heavily in the faceoff with BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. The effort to chart Congress's "political strategy" for the future will seek feedback on the perception that the party is tilted towards minorities. Such fraught consultation would not have been possible but for the rise of Hindutva strongman Narendra Modi. Sources said there was a strong desire in Congress to "shatter the perception" that is politically debilitating even as the party contends that a skewed view about its "secular" politics is unfair. The big BJP victory in the Modi-steered campaign that lashed out at the Congress over issues like illegal immigration and legislation like the communal violence bill led to some soul searching. Congress's decimation saw senior leader A K Antony warn that the party needed to correct the perception about its minority bias that was hurting its chances. Congress heir apparent Rahul Gandhi has directed AICC managers to hold state-level meetings to pick the average worker's mind on key issues that would form the basis for organizational renewal. Besides expanding the party reach and revamping its structure, sources said the brainstorming on "political strategy" would aim to shed the perception of the party being seen as anti-Hindu in its bid to woo minorities and in its secular construct. Though flagged by stalwarts like Antony and Digvijay Singh, the issue surfaced in consultations on future strategy held by Rahul. In around 20 meetings, sources said almost every group of leaders underlined the backlash due to Congress's pro-minority stance. They also blamed the saffron camp for branding Congress as opposed to the majority's interests. According to sources, Congress seems to have decided to shed this handicap that has crept into its religion-neutral politics. At meetings to be held across states, workers down the rung would be asked if they think the Congress is viewed by common people as "anti-Hindu" and what has to be done to correct the perception. Crucially, Congress would also ask workers if they think the party needs to take up issue-based agitational politics. While agitation is integral to the functioning of political parties, the oldest outfit has not been associated with protests and movements which rivals like BJP and Aam Aadmi Party are employing to great effect. Many argue that Congress's presence in power for an overwhelming period after independence pre-empted the development of agitational instinct while also making it "too responsible" to be effective as opposition. The possible tone of discussion and the coming line of questioning of workers suggest that Congress may be eager to change its political style.

Src: TOI

[bulbul]

Con party going communal :woot:

[gslv]

They have been always anti Hindu. Hindus are moron to vote for them . That's not the main reason I do not vote them. They have no development agenda. They have done zilch in last 60 yrs compared to what could have been done. I will never vote them even if I am threatened in point blank range. In my home state Odisha they had overdraft till 1998 and fecked my state . After Nabin came to power the economy is managed a lot better. Die all congis die.

[diga]

I think the question facing congress is whether they can alienate 70% of the population in order to win minority votes?

[Shivaji bhonsle]

They have been thoroughly exposed in the recent conversion row. I mean you want the likes of RSS and VHP to stop converting people back to Hinduism but won't talk anything about the Christian missionaries converting millions of Hindus. Absolute double standards. Congress keep doing it like this, BJP will be in power for the next 25 years.

[Number]

Hindus just don't care. The recent dubbing was due to total misrule and inflation not due to anti-Hindu thing. Although the minority of Hindus, who think of Congress as anti-Hindu party, is on rise.

[Captain]

What's there to perceive? Congress is anti-Hindu and has been that way for a very long time now.They took the minority appeasement to a whole new level and it's started to back fire.Add to that,the non-existent development during their regime.

[jalebi_bhai]

These guys would've become complete non-entities decades back had they not had a leader like Lal Bahadur Shastri in their ranks and had the Green Revolution not happened.......we were literally begging to feed our population in the early 60s....... P.V. Narsimha Rao was also another very likable Congress leader, the man who enforced the liberalization reforms amidst much opposition from his own party members.......the way his own party treated him tells you everything you need to know about the Congress........ It doesn't matter if they become pro-Hindu........their credibility is non-existent right now........they need to do actual governance to win back the people's trust.......

[Malcolm Merlyn]

They are anti hindu and BJP is just bringing it out in the open.For years Congress has harped on secularism to corner minority votes.Now other parties are also cornering minority votes and that is hurting Congress.BJP has tried and succeded in cornering Hindu votes from every caste and has portrayed itself as a party who will protect the rights of Hindus.Congress anti hindu and pro minority policies was going to hurt them someday.

[G_B_]

the congress is basically a sit on the chair secular party. Do nothing. Claim to be secular. Thats it. Even their vote bank which relies on Muslims. Have they ever talked about development? all i hear is reservation. Problem for the congress is that in Bihar (RJD) and UP (Samajwadi) there are others peddling the same thing. When was the last time the congress had a government in the major Hindi heartlands of Bihar UP Jharkhand and MP? You have to go all the way back to the 90s in MP. As the number of secular parties grow and occupy the same space as them the congress needs charismatic leaders to stand out with ideas on development and better organisation. Historically muslims SC and tribals were their backbone. In UP BSP has taken the SC vote for them for a long time. Tribals in Jharkhand are mostly now in the JMM fold. Muslims in UP have voted Samajwadi and RJD respectively. Congress needs to regroup. In Delhi and Bihar to come they are effectively number 3 and 5 respectively. Even in maharashtra we are seeing BSP and the MIM shifting causing a collapse in the congress vote bank. In India there are only two major hindu political parties. One is the BJP and the other is the Shiv sena which is a combo of ethnic hinduism. So they retain all the political space of the right wing. More than a challenge from the BJP the biggest challenge to the Congress is newer secular outfits who eat into their vote bank. Case in point AAP. AAP is basically the same congress voters. There is a good chance that an AAP type outfit will arise in every state in India further cramping the room on the congress.

[veer]

Damn... that's a first. Congress is actually thinking about what went wrong.

[bulbul]

Damn... that's a first. Congress is actually thinking about what went wrong.

It's not first AK Antony warned some time back but nobody listened.

[Texan]

More than "anti Hindu", the bigger issue plaguing the Congress is its anti-development, corrupt and incompetent image. It will only take a major change in perception of the BJP government (if it performs way below expectations) to give Congress a lifeline. In their current state, they are bound to the Gandhi family with an inseparable adhesive and The Family now no longer is providing competent leadership. Losing a national election has happened in the past for the Congress. But even then, they would command a majority in most state elections. This year has seen the BJP emerge as the new premier national party that has a bigger regional presence as well. The Hindi heartland of India has comprehensively rejected the Congress party which adds even more fuel to their increased perception of being anti Hindu.

[Sachin=GOD]

LOL

[G_B_]

More than "anti Hindu", the bigger issue plaguing the Congress is its anti-development, corrupt and incompetent image. It will only take a major change in perception of the BJP government (if it performs way below expectations) to give Congress a lifeline. In their current state, they are bound to the Gandhi family with an inseparable adhesive and The Family now no longer is providing competent leadership. Losing a national election has happened in the past for the Congress. But even then, they would command a majority in most state elections. This year has seen the BJP emerge as the new premier national party that has a bigger regional presence as well. The Hindi heartland of India has comprehensively rejected the Congress party which adds even more fuel to their increased perception of being anti Hindu.

thats the problem Even regional parties who are secular (supposedly) are producing better results than the congress. Look at elections after the general elections Haryana congress was 1st is now is 3rd Maharashtra was 1 now is 3rd (barely) Jharkhand was number 3 is now number 4 J and K was number 3 is now number 4 Seemaandhra were number 1 and now are basically not even registered as a party. Probably number 4 if they manage to get anybody elected. Delhi coming up they were number 1 and mostly will be number 3. Only in Telangana and Orissa (nominally atleast) are they number 2 or the official opposition. Add to that places like UP Bihar WB TN where they are not big for the last two decades or so. So your basically talking about 10-12 major states (more than 10 million pop) where the congress are relevant. I dont think many people in the congress would mind if they were coming second to the BJP. They have been in power for close to 10 years so a degree of anti incumbency will be there.

[Haarkarjeetgaye]

Yes they communal...highly communal

[BeautifulGame]

The last time Congress tried to appease the Hindu voters we ended up with Babri Masjid riots .

[RedFever]

So are the people who vote for Congress anti-Hindu ?

[Tridibans_16]

So are the people who vote for Congress anti-Hindu ?

Isn't it the same logic used by seculars to say all those who vote BJP are communal?

[Haarkarjeetgaye]

So are the people who vote for Congress anti-Hindu ?

anti hinduism. Yes. extra special love for minority and the movie PK