BJP Returns to Radical ‘Hindutva’ Roots

(Compass) – Following the defeat of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this year’s national elections, Hindu fundamentalists have pressured the BJP to return to their Hindu nationalist roots. Activists from the radical Vishwa Hindu Parishad claim the BJP lost the elections in April because they softened their policies and abandoned the Hindu cause. In June, the BJP announced they would return to their Hindutva roots; however, the party is now using the term “nationalism” rather than “Hindutva” to avoid alienating their secular allies in politics. Meanwhile, a report issued by the United Nations Development Program in July noted a rising number of violent incidents against religious minorities over the past few months, saying this posed a grave risk to an otherwise “cohesive” nation.