Bharatiya Janata Party

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, literally "Indian People's Party"[1]) is an Indian political party. The main agenda of the party is Hindutva, Hindu nationalism, social conservatism.[2] The BJP has noted links to violent extremist groups, such as those responsible for the destruction of the Babri Mosque.[3]

Contents

[edit] Activities

BJP and associated political organization often mix mythology with history, and religion with science, in their politics and public policies.[4][5]

  • Founded in 1980.
  • In 1992, destruction of Babri Mosque.
  • In 1999, BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee became prime minister of India.
  • In 2007, BJP opposed the demolition of Ram Setu aka Adam Bridge(India-Sri Lanka border), adding that it will demolish the bridge supposedly built by the Hindu God Rama.[6]
  • In 2001, The BJP minister Murli Manohar Joshi tried introducing astrology as a course in Indian colleges and university syllabus. And he succeeded.[7]
  • Victory in 4 states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, during the elections of 2013.[8][9]
  • The party won a sweeping national victory in the 2014 general election, deposing the Indian National Congress led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and handing the position of Prime Minister of India to Narendra Modi.[10][11] Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014. It is not yet known if the United States will lift his prohibition on entering the country while he is head of state.

[edit] What their leaders say

In 2014, a BJP MP (Member of Parliament), Ramesh Pokhriyal, described Jyotish (Hindi term for astrology) as the topmost science, saying,[12][13]

Jyotish is a science to make calculations lakhs of years in advance. All other sciences have been dwarfed by our ancient astrologers. Astrology is the number one science for the entire world. We should promote the science… I want to say that astrology is the topmost science in the world.
—Ramesh Pokhriyal, BJP MP[12][13]

He also claimed that an ancient Indian sage, Kanad[wp], who is thought to have lived around the 2nd century BC, had conducted a nuclear test.[12][13] He said,

Today we are talking about nuclear tests. Lakhs of years ago, Sage Kanad had conducted a nuclear test. Our knowledge and science do not lack anything.
—Ramesh Pokhriyal, BJP MP[12][13]

In 2014, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said that genetic science and cosmetic surgery existed in ancient India.[14] He said in front of a group of doctors and other professionals,

We all read about Karna[wp] in the Mahabharata[wp]. If we think a little more, we realise that the Mahabharata says Karna was not born from his mother’s womb. This means that genetic science was present at that time. That is why Karna could be born outside his mother’s womb." He further said, "We worship Lord Ganesha[wp]. There must have been some plastic surgeon at that time who got an elephant’s head on the body of a human being and began the practice of plastic surgery."
—Narendra Modi, BJP politician and prime minister of India[14]

In 2015, Shankarbhai Vegad, a BJP MP, claimed that cow urine and cow dung can cure cancer.[15] He said,

I am witness to it, cow dung and urine are a 100 per cent cure for cancer.
—Shankarbhai Vegad, BJP MP[15]

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

Articles on RationalWiki about Hindu nationalism
  David Frawley  -  Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh  -  Hindu University of America  -  Hindutva  -  Indigenous Aryans theory  -  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  -  Sanskrit  -  Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America  
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