Pre-Independence Roots (1920s–1947): The RSS and Hindu Nationalism
The BJP’s fiery roots trace back to the 1920s, when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—a radical Hindu nationalist group—was born under K.B. Hedgewar, challenging the Congress’ secular vision with a fierce call for Hindu supremacy. The movement found its ideological backbone in Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s explosive manifesto, Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, which redefined India as a Hindu Rashtra—a nation for Hindus first. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the fiery founder of the BJP’s predecessor (Bharatiya Jana Sangh. BJS leaders stoked the flames further, vehemently opposing Partition of India-Pakistan and demanding undivided Hindu dominance. But the RSS’s role in India’s freedom struggle was shockingly marginal—instead of fighting the British, they focused on militant Hindu mobilization. Then came the moment that shook the nation to its core: the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. The killer? Nathuram Godse, a former RSS member, who pumped three bullets into the Mahatma’s chest, screaming "Nathuram Godse here!" as Gandhi collapsed. The fallout was explosive—the RSS was banned, its leaders arrested, and Hindu nationalism was branded as a dangerous force. Yet, from these dark ashes, the BJP would later rise, inheriting the RSS’s unyielding dream of a Hindu India.
Post-Independence: Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951–1977)
In the turbulent aftermath of Gandhi's assassination and the RSS's temporary ban, Hindu nationalism slithered back into politics through a new front—the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), founded in 1951 by the hardline Syama Prasad Mukherjee. Far from embracing India's pluralistic ideals, the BJS became the political arm of the RSS, relentlessly attacking Nehru's vision of a secular, socialist India. It railed against minority rights, demanding a Uniform Civil Code—a thinly veiled attempt to erase Muslim personal laws and impose majoritarian Hindu norms. Its most toxic campaign? The fanatical obsession with Jammu & Kashmir, where it shrieked the divisive slogan: "Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan, nahi chalega!" (One nation can’t tolerate two constitutions, two leaders!). By 1967, the BJS had clawed its way into power in states like Madhya Pradesh, not through broad appeal, but by stoking Hindu resentment and exploiting anti-Congress sentiment. This was no democratic opposition—it was the RSS reborn in politics, laying the groundwork for the BJP’s future dominance by weaponizing religion and rewriting India’s secular contract.
Transition to BJP (1980–1990s): Rise of Hindutva Politics
Under the deceptive duality of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s "moderate" mask and L.K. Advani’s naked majoritarianism, the BJP systematically injected Hindu supremacist ideology into mainstream politics, leaving a trail of division and violence.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Movement: A Calculated Descent into Communal Chaos
The 1980s-90s saw the BJP cynically exploit religious sentiment, launching the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign—a deliberate provocation disguised as faith. Advani’s rath yatra wasn’t a spiritual journey; it was a hate march, inciting millions with the promise of razing the Babri Masjid. The BJP’s rhetoric turned Ayodhya into a tinderbox, culminating in the December 6, 1992, demolition—a premeditated act of mob terrorism orchestrated under the BJP’s watch. The aftermath? Nationwide riots, thousands dead (mostly Muslims), and India’s secular fabric torn apart. Yet, the BJP celebrated—it had proven that violence could be a viable political strategy.
1996: Political Opportunism Exposed
By 1996, the BJP had clawed its way to becoming the single-largest party, but its extremist baggage made it untouchable. Even potential allies recoiled, exposing the BJP’s core problem: it could mobilize hatred, but not governance.
1998-2004: Vajpayee’s Duplicity—Soft-Spoken Leader, Hardline Agenda
Pokhran-II (1998): Nuclear Nationalism to Distract from Failures
The 1998 nuclear tests were less about security and more about saffron swagger. While Vajpayee posed as a statesman, the BJP spun Pokhran-II into Hindutva propaganda—claiming a "Hindu bomb" had asserted India’s dominance. The reality? International isolation, economic sanctions, and a reckless gamble that prioritized chest-thumping over stability.
Kargil War (1999): War-Mongering for Votes
The Kargil conflict became a BJP publicity stunt. While soldiers died, the party militarized patriotism, using the war to whitewash its divisive agenda. The message was clear: question the BJP, and you’re anti-India.
Economic Reforms: A Smokescreen for Hindutva
Vajpayee’s highway and telecom projects were flashy distractions from the BJP’s real mission: normalizing Hindu majoritarianism. Behind the façade of "development," the party stacked institutions with RSS loyalists, rewrote textbooks, and emboldened lynch mobs and anti-minority violence.
By 2004, the BJP had achieved its goal: Hindutva was no longer fringe—it was state-sanctioned. The party had demonstrated that riots, revisionism, and religious polarization could win elections. Though temporarily ousted, the groundwork was laid for an even more ruthless successor—Narendra Modi, who would take the BJP’s divisive playbook to new extremes.
From its inception in the 1920s, the RSS laid the groundwork for Hindu nationalism, which later evolved into the BJP. The party's history is marked by a series of strategic moves, including the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign and the Kargil War, which were used to galvanize support and promote a Hindu-centric agenda. Despite facing political isolation initially, the BJP's persistence paid off, leading to significant electoral victories.