Patna: Even as the BJP govts in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have mandated that shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route display nameplates with details, the top BJP leadership in Bihar has remained tight-lipped about the issue. The Kanwar Yatra begins on Monday and the Bihar BJP seems cautious to avoid upsetting the Nitish Kumar-led NDA govt. This reticence comes as key allies of the BJP in Bihar – JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) – have opposed the BJP’s move.
The NDA govts in Bihar and New Delhi rely heavily on the support of the JD(U), led by Nitish Kumar.Analysts suggest that the BJP is wary of irritating its ally. The NDA govt in Bihar, formed in January after Nitish broke away from the Grand Alliance, now depends on BJP’s backing. Similarly, the 12 JD(U) MPs have provided crucial support to BJP, which failed to secure a majority on its own in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Deputy chief ministers from the BJP quota, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, declined to comment on the issue. “Ye kaun issue hai?” Choudhary responded curtly when asked about the demand for implementing the Uttar Pradesh model in Bihar. “I haven’t seen the comment of the party netas,” Sinha added.
However, BJP legislator Prem Ranjan Patel has vocally supported the idea. On Sunday, Patel argued that adopting the Uttar Pradesh model would benefit Hindu pilgrims. “Everyone across the country appreciates the decision of the UP govt and this decision must be implemented in Bihar too,” Patel added.
Haribhushan Thakur, another BJP legislator, compared the nameplate directive to the Halal certification process. “Nobody questions the Halal certificate issued by the Halal Certification body. So, what’s the problem with implementing the nameplate idea for eateries along the Kanwar route?” Thakur said. He added that nameplates would eliminate confusion for pilgrims, allowing them to choose eateries according to their preference.
In contrast, the JD(U) has strongly opposed the idea. “Displaying nameplates on carts, street vendors and shops will promote caste animosity during the yatra and violate the sanctity of the journey,” JD(U) general secretary Rajib Ranjan said on Sunday. He added that the Kanwar Yatra is a collective experience where caste distinctions are irrelevant.
The LJP (Ram Vilas) has also rejected the UP govt’s advisory, saying that it fosters division along caste and religious lines. “We need to bridge the gap between these two classes of people. It is every govt’s responsibility to work for the poor, which includes all sections of society such as Dalits, backwards, upper castes and Muslims,” LJP(RV) president Chirag Paswan told reporters a couple of days back.