Hindutva impact? Kejriwal does a Rahul Gandhi but with a difference in Delhi election

Seeking a second term in Delhi Assembly election, Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has declared himself a Hanuman bhakta (devotee of Lord Hanuman) just on the eve of Delhi Assembly election. This comes at a time when the BJP – including senior leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah – has accused Kejriwal of “supporting” Shaheen Bagh protesters (read Muslims) for vote bank politics.

In a series of TV interviews and public events, Kejriwal has projected himself as a devout Hindu, recited Hanuman Chalisa (anode of 40 couplets in the praise of Lord Hanuman), called the BJP leaders “nakli Hindu” (Hindu imposters) and advised his political rivals to recite Hanuman Chalisa declaring that it gives peace of mind.

The new strategy of Kejriwal

Reciting Hanuman Chalisa in a TV interview came as the Rahul Gandhi moment of Kejriwal. Rahul Gandhi, then as the Congress president, had assiduously tried to establish himself and his family as devout Shiva bhakt (a devotee of Lord Shiva) during a campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

This came on the back of a ritualistic temple-hopping by Rahul Gandhi during assembly elections in state after state. He also undertook Mansarovar Yatra, a religious pilgrimage to Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. The Congress spokespersons declared Rahul Gandhi a “sacred thread” bearer. But the “soft Hindutva” did not impact PM Modi’s Hindutva image and he returned with a bigger mandate.

In Kejriwal’s version of Hindu identity, he has subtly positioned himself as “Shravan Kumar” the ideal son in ancient Indian legend. He launched a free pilgrimage program for senior citizens.

Though Kejriwal was not as shy as Rahul Gandhi earlier with his Hindu identity, he made it part of political tactic following the AAP’s rout in the Lok Sabha election in Delhi last year. He went public with “Swaminarayan Bhagwan Ka Abhishek” (literally, the coronation of Lord Swaminarayan).

Further, he repositioned himself closer to the Hindutva brand with his public support to abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and later with his muted response to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and protests led by Muslims against the law.