The political slogan is “If we are divided, we will be cut”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath narrated the story of ‘Bantga to Katenga’ in such a way that it found support from senior BJP leaders and the RSS. From Prime Minister Modi to Amit Shah, people have mentioned this at rallies. The opposition parties did not come up with any other slogans but were busy crafting their slogans and political agenda around this. In this way, both the ruling and opposition parties are busy formulating their own political agendas.
Three months ago, commenting on the situation in Bangladesh during a program in Agra, CM Yogi said that nothing big can happen to a country and a country can become strong only when we maintain unity and religion. “If we are divided, we will be cut.” Yogi Adityanath’s remarks were not limited to Uttar Pradesh but also became the center of discussion during the Haryana Assembly elections. Now, the political echo of “if you divide, you divide” is ringing loudly in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections.
Sangh’s support and PM’s message
The slogan “Batenge to Katenge”, raised in the context of Bangladesh, resonated in the political atmosphere of UP and then gradually started transforming into a narrative that united Hindus scattered across castes. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh seemed to confirm this to some extent, agreeing with Yogi’s slogan and conveying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of unity. On the occasion of Vijayadashami, Sangha president Mohan Bhagwat supported CM Yogi’s statement asking Hindus to remain united in the name of Bangladesh.
Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale of the Sangh made it clear in Mathura that Hindu unity is the life circle of the Sangh. We will express this strongly and will work on this in the future. Reacting to Yogi’s statement that “if we cut back, we will divide”, the Sangh made it clear that Hindu unity was for public welfare. We must protect ourselves while also doing good in the world. In this situation Hindu unity is necessary. Reacting to this, Hosabale himself said that work is being done to break the unity of Hindus based on caste and ideology.
Yogi’s statement becomes political narrative
The Sangh and Prime Minister Modi have backed Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Bantenga to Katenga’ slogan, which appears to be a strategy to counter the ongoing caste census movement and Let the Indian alliance, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, pay a political price. The BJP and its supporting organizations in states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have seen harm caused by the Congress-led Indian alliance to backward classes and untouchables. The BJP has also tried to stem the caste divide in Indian society through the slogan “Bantanga to Katenga”.
The BJP and the Sangh realize that they have to suffer political losses in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due to caste politics. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP was the largest party in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, but in 2024, the BJP suffered setbacks in both states. Hence, the BJP is busy using the narrative of “dividing and being divided” as a strategy to unite Hindus in order to turn the political situation in its favour.
“If they had, they would be safe.”
From CM Yogi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, all the BJP leaders repeat in every rally that if you divide you will be defeated, if you stay united you will be safe. Prime Minister Modi’s slogan is now being promoted as a criticism of the Congress for creating a rift among Dalit backward classes and allegedly indulging in divisive politics. Addressing the Congress, PM Modi said the party’s only agenda is to pit one caste against another. The Prime Minister stressed that he did not want SC, ST and OBC to go ahead and get proper recognition. Remember, “If you are one of them, you are safe.”
The opposition is also blatantly playing political games
Instead of defending the “if we are divided, we will be divided” political narrative put forward by CM Yogi, the opposition responded with equal aggression. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized everyone from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chief Minister CM Yogi. “If we are divided we will be divided, if we are united we will be safe,” Haq said in Maharashtra, “but who is in real danger?” Have a question? Is the country of Sangh, BJP and Modi in danger?
Meanwhile, at a rally in Jharkhand, Mallikarjun Kharge targeted Yogi saying that he was wearing a sadhu’s clothes but when he came to the crowd, he said things like “If you divide, you will be cut” If so, is this a work by Sadhu? Only a terrorist can say such a thing, no saint can say such a thing. Haq said Yogi Adityanath should not fool people by wearing saffron clothes, he (like other leaders) needs to wear white clothes. A true yogi cannot use language like “if you divide, then you cut.” Apart from this, he also criticized the BJP for not doing injustice to Dalits and OBCs.
“PDA is unique and noble”
Akhilesh Yadav openly tried to counter Yogi’s ‘batenga to katenga’ narrative and put it on the caste agenda. Akhilesh makes statements on this every day and says time and time again that if Dalit backward minorities unite, we will win. PDA is unique and noble. Meanwhile, Asaduddin Owaisi linked the slogan with Muslims and said how will those who destroy Muslim houses with bulldozers unite the society? AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the BJP was not worried about Hindus and was only worried about winning elections. RJD spokesperson Priyanka Bharti said who divides people on the basis of caste? Even today, who in society attacks and kills Dalits because they wear a mustache or ride a horse at a wedding?
“What’s on my mind, I’ll say it now!”
Rahul Gandhi did not comment on Yogi’s statement but appeared aggressive after PM Modi’s statement. Rahul shared a picture of NSA Ajit Doval, Gautam Adani, SEBI Chairman Madhavi Buch along with PM Modi and Amit Shah on Twitter and wrote , if someone is there, then they are safe. What’s on my mind, I say it now! Earlier, Rahul Gandhi told a rally in Jharkhand that the BJP pitted one religion against another and one country against another. In this way, the BJP is playing divisive politics, but we are running a love shop. Apart from this, Rahul Gandhi has also made caste census and 50% reservation as his issues.
BJP allies alienated
The allies of the BJP have distanced themselves from Yogi Adityanath’s statement that they would cut back if they split. In Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar made it clear that Maharashtra has never accepted communal divisions. People here follow the secular ideologies of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar. This kind of politics will not work in Maharashtra as the people here have always ensured communal harmony. Some people come from outside to make comments, but we disagree. Our slogan is everyone’s support and everyone’s development. Eknath Shinde also joined Ajit Pawar and said this kind of politics cannot happen in Maharashtra.
What did JDU say?
The JDU said our party did not mortgage its ideology. We have formed an alliance with the BJP for the development of the state, including Bihar. We respect all religions. Our party has always worked hard to ensure the unity and progress of the country. JDU leader Khalid Anwar said we cannot promote any slogans aimed at dividing or destroying society.
Plan to polarize Hindu votes
According to political analysts, the BJP hopes to unite the Hindu votes through the slogan “Bantenge to Katenge” as the Muslim votes were polarized but not the Hindu votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, therefore, hopes to make up for its losses in the Lok Sabha elections by shouting slogans like “If we are divided, we will be curtailed”. While reservation remains a big issue in Maharashtra, tribal Muslim unity in Jharkhand has become a political tension for the BJP as religious polarization has not succeeded in this case.
Cost politics has heightened political tensions for the BJP in Maharashtra. The Maratha reservation movement dealt a blow to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. There are political conflicts between OBCs and Marathas and between tribals and Dangars. That is why the issue of reservation is in full swing in this election. Maha Vikas Aghadi has pledged to break the 50% barrier for caste census and reservation, posing a political challenge to the BJP.
Yogi Adityanath was sent to Maharashtra not just for North Indian votes but also as a Hindu icon. That is why right from his first rally, he started formulating a Hindutva agenda so that the Maratha and OBC votes in Maharashtra could be united in the name of Hindutva. By doing so, Yogi sought to control caste-based voting. That is why all the BJP leaders have raised the slogan “If we divide, we will divide” and Prime Minister Modi also tried to reinforce this slogan by talking about “If we stay united, we will stay righteous”.
Opposition bets on cost politics
Today, the opposition is charting a political agenda by advocating for caste census and breaking the 50% caste reservation barrier. The BJP has carefully maintained a strategic silence on the issue and has not spoken out against the caste census. According to political analysts, the BJP-RSS is trying to counter claims of a caste census to achieve equality and the alleged “dividing of Hindus on the basis of caste”. The BJP is therefore trying to change its image from a traditional Brahmin-Baniya (upper caste) party to one that brings lower castes under the broader Hindutva umbrella. Meanwhile, the opposition is trying to sail its political ship by focusing on a social justice agenda.
