By M K Ashoka

Bengaluru, Aug 25 (IANS): Ruling BJP and Opposition Congress, which have subtly or openly practiced the politics of division are confronting a catch-22 situation as their politics of polarisation is showing all signs of boomeranging on them in Karnataka.

Hindutva forces, activists who worked in tandem with ruling BJP and worked shoulder to shoulder in elections across the state are now taking a position against the ruling BJP in Karnataka. On the other hand, the Congress party's claim over minorities is being challenged by the rise of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI).

After the hijab crisis and boycott calls on Muslim leaders, the BJP insiders explained that Hindu youth came into the fold of RSS and other Hindu organisations, which pleased the ruling BJP government. However, the situation is just opposite in the present scenario, where the BJP workers and Hindu activists, who identified with the BJP over decades, are expressing their unhappiness over the party.

Dharmendra, State General Secretary Akhila Bharata Hindu Mahasabha talking to IANS stated that, the expiry date of BJP is very near. "We are contesting for more seats. The organisation is much more powerful. We will change the political scenario in the state. The BJP party will deliver a powerful blow across Karnataka," he stated.

The ruling BJP is now showing the same attitude of the Congress party once it displayed when it ruled the whole of India except for three states. The BJP is indulging in dividing castes, religion more aggressively than the Congress. The party workers are disenchanted with the development and finding parallel parties and organisations. They are coming into the fold of Akhila Bharatha Hindu Mahasabha, Dharmendra explains.

Sri Rama Sena have not only issued an open challenge to BJP questioning its commitment towards Hindutva, but have called for the people to not to believe the assurances of the saffron party.

It's not only the Hindutva forces, the BJP cadres are also antagonised with the party following the viral videos and photos of the accused in the Bajrang Dal activist Harsha murder case making merry in the prison.

Before the leaders could assuage the outburst, murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Kumar Nettare in Dakshina Kannada district took place and the Hindutva activists and BJP workers booed BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel and prominent RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat who came to attend funeral.

The angry mob tried to turn Kateel's vehicle upside down. Social media campaigns were taken up condemning the statements of the Chief Minister and Home Minister. The statements such as "strict action will be initiated", "accused will not be spared" were ridiculed. The members of the Akhila Bharata Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) laid siege to Home Minister Araga Jnanendra's residence causing severe embarrassment to ruling BJP.

Pramod Muthalik, Founder of Sri Rama Sena told IANS that his organisation won't support the BJP in the upcoming elections. "We have asked the BJP to change. The dissatisfaction towards the BJP is very much there. The party is corrupt and it is not sensitive towards the needs of the Hindu community. It has digressed from its objectives. At the same time Sri Rama Sena is not planning to contest polls," he explained.

When asked whether he hates the Muslim community, Pramod Muthalik, said that wherever the Muslim population increases, the community demands that there should not be Hindu teachers, there should not be Hindu processions and police officers, what does it show? We are dealing with the situation, he said.

Senior Advocate Majid Khan, State Working Committee member of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) told IANS that a major chunk of minorities and Dalits have moved from the Congress party to SDPI. Even BJP workers are also joining the SDPI, he added.

"We have been involved in their communities, wards. We don't talk of the sky, but we speak about the ground. We will make Dalits understand how they are humiliated and kept in a state of helplessness," he said.

The SDPI took a padayatra for Dalit man Dinesh, who was murdered, from Belthangadi town to Mangaluru. This forced the government to issue Rs 8 lakh compensation. Two dalits were torched to death in Tumakuru district, it is SDPI who launched agitation and booked cases against upper caste perpetrators, said Khan.

"We are in the battlefield now and planning to contest in all the Assembly seats and surely deliver blow to not only the Congress but also to the BJP," Majid Khan explained.

Sensing the danger, C.T. Ravi, the National General Secretary and the BJP MLA made an appeal that if any party which works for Hindus it is only the BJP. The statements against the party would only benefit the anti-Hindu forces. On the other hand, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and others constantly demanded the ban on the SDPI.

However, insiders in both parties said that the leadership was concerned with the rise of the Hindu organisations as well as SDPI.