The strange stance of Madhya Pradesh's top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Home Minister Narottam Mishra, after the state's School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar proposed a ban on hijab in schools and said they were working a new dress code, has left many puzzled.
Karnataka has been grappling with a controversy over Muslim students wearing hijab to schools for nearly two months now. The echoes of it were heard in other states as well, including Madhya Pradesh.
Following the hijab row in Karnataka, journalists in Madhya Pradesh had questioned Parmar over the government's stance on a hijab ban in the state.
"The hijab is definitely not a part of the dress code. It is not a part of a school uniform. There should be a ban on the hijab. We will ban it here as well. Further discussions will be held."Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar on Tuesday, 8 February
However, what followed his statement was unusual. When Chauhan was posed with the same questions, he denied commenting on the matter. A day after that, on 9 February, the state's home minister, known for his strong pro-right-wing comments on polarising issues, denied Parmar's claims of implementing a new dress code in schools.
Later that same day, Chauhan reportedly reprimanded the school education minister and advised other ministers not to make controversial remarks about the issue. Following that, Parmar released a video, saying his words were 'taken out of context'.
But what stood out was how the BJP unit had played down the hijab row in Madhya Pradesh, despite its established reputation of siding with its counterparts in other states, be it on the matters of love jihad, introducing an anti-conversion law, or a law against stone-pelting.
The Quint spoke to various senior journalists and political analysts to find out why the BJP in the state didn't back the party's own perceptions on the matter.
Why Didn't BJP Unit in MP Support Party's Agenda?
From bringing a law against conversion to stone-pelting, the BJP in MP has time and again made its stand clear on various polarising issues in the state. However, now, at a time when five states in India are going to the polls, the party here has taken a backseat.
According to sources, the home minister is unwilling to step out of the 'comfort zone' prevailing in the state. Mishra had directly contradicted Parmar's claim, adding that "it is Karnataka's issue and it is with the courts."
A senior journalist says it is a bit unusual for the party to do so. "As the BJP is trying to stir the polarisation from further south, it would have been natural for Madhya Pradesh to follow through. However, they didn't, because the Shivraj government itself will be going to the polls next year and polarisation isn't what the BJP will be leading into the polls with."
Shivraj Doesn’t Want To Stir Up Communal Tensions Close to Elections?
Many would believe that the BJP would opt for polarisation while it's time for the polls – but not in Madhya Pradesh. People close to the party say that MP has a different demography, with only six to seven percent of the 7.33 crore total population being Muslims, as per the previous census. In Karnataka, the numbers are almost double; the state's Muslim population accounts for nearly 12 percent of the total 6.41 crore population of the state.
"Both the CM and the BJP have been garnering Muslim votes to some extent in the state. Siding with polarisation a year and a half before polls would result in them losing these votes. It will also impact Shivraj's public perception. He is not known for driving communal politics in his poll agenda, and he wouldn't want to start doing so," says another journalist.
'Hijab Row Revolves Around Education and Girl Child'
Another journalist covering state politics says the BJP was worried that its pro-right-wing stand on the hijab issue would be detrimental because of the context it is linked to.
"First, it's about education, second, it's about girl children. Shivraj would not want to risk being on the wrong side of these things. His image in the state, especially the 'Mama-Bhanji' rhetoric, will be directly affected if he took a stand like Karnataka," says the journalist.
Shivraj reportedly lashed out at Parmar over his remarks on the hijab row as he warned his Cabinet – in strong words – against making controversial comments on the matter.
Moreover, the RSS has a stronger network and presence in Madhya Pradesh than in Karnataka. MP's Agar Malwa region is considered their home base, and many argue that they don't need to play the communal hand in the state.
"The communal card and polarising topics are the BJP's go-to things in politics. However, in Madhya Pradesh, the result would be more diminishing than the expectations. The state doesn't need communal tensions more than it already has and the Shivraj government has had negative results out of these games in the past."Deepak Tiwari, political analyst of Madhya Pradesh
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)