In raising the Hindutva banner, the BJP was also working in tandem with the RSS. On Tuesday, at a preparatory meeting of the RSS in Lucknow ahead of the Sangh’s annual meeting starting later this week in the Uttar Pradesh capital, speakers pointed to “open and shameless minority politics.” According to RSS national executive member Ram Madhav, there was no need to talk of minority appeasement any more as the UPA and its allies were “openly talking of Muslims”.

The support from the RSS will be important in the elections__the sangh recently completed a year-long campaign in connection with the centenary celebrations of their second chief Guru Golwalkar, focusing on Hindu consolidation, minority appeasement and internal security. The BJP is expected to benefit from the campaign.

Taking a hardline position on the issue comes even though the BJP has been shy of making use of Ayodhya and Godhra in their political campaigns. But by bringing the focus on the purported anti-Hindu stand of the UPA and its allies, the BJP is also hoping to gain from the consolidation of Muslim and Hindu votes.