For Lal Krishan Advani, the original ‘Hindu Hruday Samrat’ responsible for the rise of the BJP on the crest of the Ram temple movement, the highest civilian honour is a crowning moment not just in the conventional sense of celebration but also as a more sobering reflection on the complexities of a long and chequered political journey. The legacy that the BJP patriarch represents is complex, multi-layered and open to diverse interpretations; many adore him for being the original charioteer who paved the way for cultural awakening among Hindus, blending religion with nationalism, while others hold him responsible for polarisation and communal violence in the aftermath of the demolition of Babri Masjid.
There could have been no bigger irony than the way he was kept out of the celebrations surrounding the recent consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a culmination of the movement he had spearheaded more than three decades ago. The decision to award him the Bharat Ratna is kind of emboldening Hinduvta politics. PM Narendra Modi is unleashing all-out Hindutva politics as the election nears. The BJP is hugely banking on Hindutva politics along with a mix of welfare schemes for the 2024 election.