The Double-Edged Sword of Christmas Outreach By BJP
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2025-12-27 12:20:49
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The India Commentary view
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The irony of what happened across many states in India on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is hard to miss. While PM Modi and BJP president J.P. Nadda attended Christmas services, Bajrang Dal and VHP cadres were busy disrupting celebrations elsewhere. In Kerala, they attacked children under 15. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP Jabalpur district vice-president Anju Bhargava assaulted a visually impaired woman at a Christmas gathering. In Chhattisgarh, hooligans vandalized decorations. The party readily drafted senior leaders for minority outreach but had no control over the fringe elements creating fear in those very communities.
The worst part? This wasn't an isolated incident - it happens every year. While the locations and perpetrators change, the organizations remain the same: Bajrang Dal, VHP, and smaller Hindutva outfits. The party should have issued a stern warning to these groups this year, given its decision to send senior leaders to churches. But it seems the BJP either didn't think it important or, worse, has no control over these elements.
What's truly disgusting is how such attacks are being normalized in BJP-ruled states. No FIRs were filed. The hooligans, easily identifiable from public footage, were not arrested. This emboldens them, which is precisely why they keep repeating their heinous attacks every year.
The BJP will have to realize that it can never have the minorities on its side if it doesn't make them feel they belong. That can only happen when there's no threat to their life and property, and when they have the freedom to profess their religion. Without that, no outreach - even if helmed by PM Modi - will ever succeed. If hoodlums keep disrupting Christmas celebrations every year, Modi's placating words will feel like the other edge of a double-edged sword.
