In “batenge toh katenge” the Bharatiya Janata Party may have found a political slogan to replace its decades old “mandir wahin banayenge” tagline. And the party feels that the new catchphrase would be effective in keeping the unity of Hindu voters and prevent any split in the community during important electoral battles.
The BJP feels that “batenge toh katenge” has the same potential to unite the Hindu population as “mandir wahin banayenge” had on the masses to garner support for the construction of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. The “mandir wahin banayenge” slogan united the community nationwide in an unprecedented way, successfully culminating in the construction of the Ayodhya Temple.
“Batenge toh katenge” aims to reignite the political thinking amongst the Hindu community voters to take note of the political parties aiming to divide their votes with the vested interest of securing power. Through the statement, the saffron unit’s top leadership is trying to awaken the majority community about the nefarious designs of opposition parties that aim to divide them on caste lines to ensure their defeat in electoral battles.
Hindutva icon and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was the first one to use the “batenge toh katenge” slogan at a public rally in August when he made a pitch for national unity citing the turmoil in Bangladesh to warn against the consequences of divisions in society. After which, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gave support to the sentiment during his rally in Thane, Maharashtra on October 5.
Moreover, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat has, on several occasions, pointed out that any division in Hindu votes could have adverse effects on the democratic norms of the nation.
The RSS, the ruling BJP’s ideological parent, strongly backed the saffron party’s “batenge toh katenge”statement, at its national meet in Mathura held last week. The endorsement by the RSS also indicates that the BJP leadership is now likely to move ahead and use it widely across the nation in forthcoming elections.
The feeling is that the caste division should be avoided at all costs as it would adversely affect the unity of Hindu votes and defeat of favorable candidates. Many in the BJP feel that several parties including Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and others have been using caste to divide the Hindu population in their respective spheres of dominance to remain in power.
The BJP feels that it was due to successful strategy of caste division that was implemented by opposition political parties, led by INDIA bloc that its tally fell to 240 seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, overshadowing the saffron unit’s stellar performance in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.
