BJP ratchets up Ram rhetoric in Delhi

Delhi sees a surge of 'Jai Shri Ram' flags as BJP intensifies campaign for Assembly election.

A fresh wave of saffron is sweeping through Delhi, with hundreds of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flags popping up across localities overnight as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensifies its campaign for the upcoming Assembly election.

The BJP had launched its campaign song, ‘Jo Ram ko lekar aye, unka raj hoga Dilli mein (Those who brought Ram, will rule Delhi)’, on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya.

This saffron surge is particularly evident in Anna Nagar, a slum cluster in ITO under the Jangpura Assembly constituency, where residents woke up to find hundreds of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flags in the area. Almost every house, shop, and autorickshaw now sports a newly installed flag, according to residents.

Raja Ram, a 50-year-old vegetable vendor, discovered a ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flag hoisted over his shop on Wednesday morning. He claimed it was installed by unknown individuals at midnight and expressed uncertainty about whether the flags would remain. “Some might remove them, while others will let them remain,” he said.

Similar flags had appeared in the area last year too, with some installed by residents and others by outsiders. Eventually, they disappeared or were damaged due to strong winds and rain, according to residents.

Highlighting the area’s persistent problems, Mr. Ram said the annual monsoon causes flooding and even led to houses collapsing in 2020. “The biggest issue here is that the drains are broken and start overflowing in the monsoon. Children can’t walk to school and our work is affected,” he said.

The BJP had used its campaign slogan, “Jo Ram ko laye hain, hum unko layenge”, widely during the Lok Sabha election. Its impact is still evident, with voters like Dhruv, a 26-year-old driver, confirming that the Ram Temple consecration will influence his vote.