Hindutva out of Common Minimum Programme

Hindutva out of Common Minimum Programme
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to discuss his party’s stand on issues like Ram Mandir, Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code with Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi.

While the Shiv Sena, Congress and the NCP have agreed on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to form a government in the state, Hindutva issues have been kept out of the CMP. A senior Sena functionary said that Hindutva and the Sena’s stand on issues like Ram Mandir, Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code will be discussed by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP president Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. For now, the CMP mostly revolves around farmer’s issues. On Saturday, a delegation of leaders from the Sena, the Congress and NCP is expected to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to discuss the aid measures for farmers affected by unseasonal rain. This shows that the alliance is in robust health.

“The Sena is a Hindutva-oriented party and will always support that ideology. We can’t let go of our core agenda. But the two main issues, Ram Mandir and Article 370, have already been settled. In the Ram Mandir case, the SC order has been welcomed by all. Even the Congress has welcomed it and said that the temple must be constructed,” the functionary said.

The functionary added that the CMP only deals with issues that are related to the state government. “The national issues will be dealt at the national level. This arrangement will ensure smooth functioning and prevent the alliance from getting derailed. The Congress too has adopted soft Hindutva recently, so there is nothing wrong in being flexible,” he said.

Sharad Pawar (left) and Uddhav Thackeray will soon meet Sonia Gandhi

Sharad Pawar (left) and Uddhav Thackeray will soon meet Sonia Gandhi


If the fledgling coalition of Congress, NCP and the Sena comes to power, it will waive all crop loans. Such a promise, which will cost the state exchequer Rs 1.5 lakh crore, headlines the CMP that the three parties have been working overtime to thrash out. The CMP, which indicates that all three parties are on the same page in terms of their priorities, will lead to the much-anticipated next step of staking claim to form the government. Under the previous government, only crop loans up to Rs 1.5 lakh per farmer were waived, but this CMP promises to lift the ceiling, clearing the farmers’ 7/12 documents of all institutional debts linked to their crops.

NCP sources said that Pawar will meet Gandhi on Sunday in New Delhi. The Sena functionary said that once all the modalities are worked out, Uddhav may meet Gandhi in Delhi. “So the Sena will have to dump some right-wing agenda while the Congress and NCP will have to leave some hardline secular issues to arrive at a common ground. The Congress has indicated that Uddhavji should meet Soniaji for a courtesy visit once the Congress tenders its formal support letter,” a functionary said.


Soon after the SC order on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, Uddhav had said that the BJPled Union government cannot take “credit” for the verdict. He also said that he will visit senior BJP leader LK Advani and congratulate him. The Sena chief also said that he will visit Ayodhya on November 24. He said that the Supreme Court's verdict to clear the way for a temple to be built at the disputed site is accepted by all.