Mainstream WeeklyWhile outrightly opposing the hard-line Hindutva of the RSS/BJP, scholars of the secular camp refer to the soft Hindutva of secular parties, as if the use of soft Hindutva to grab political power is a constitutional secular practice. They, without hesitation, place their bets on the soft Hindutva political parties/leaders who, in their view, can prevent the hard-line Hindutva RSS/BJP from coming into power in the elections. It seems not to matter even if that party/leader is a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Two results emerge from this political behaviour: First, secular parties get a certificate for practicing soft Hindutva or being a part of the BJP-led alliance, they can remain constitutionalists even while practicing Hindutva, and they can plead without any hesitation to save the Constitution from the evil eye of the RSS/BJP. Secondly, the political power of the BJP, the political arm of the RSS, keeps rising and its ideology continues to spread throughout the country; its aim of making Indian politics Hinduism-centric instead of Constitution-centric is thereby easily fulfilled. Needless to say, the BJP is also okay with as much constitution as is required for running the elections and governments after gaining power. It will remain so in the future as well. Other theocratic states of the world too have constitutions, which have some provisions for democracy and civil rights.
The soft Hindutva parties/leaders in their political rhetoric claim that the RSS/BJP alone does not have the patent of Hindu religion. The RSS/BJP on the other hand has little objection to such a claim because by saying this, soft Hindutva parties only help in achieving their aim. When the soft Hindutva leaders, while claiming their right on Hindu religion, argue before the public that they are the