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The B.J.P. has shaped Hedgewar's thoughts into a political juggernaut. Central to their political success is the promotion of Rama, the warrior god of the Hindu Ramayana epic, and a dilapidated 16th century mosque in the north Indian town of Ayodhya. The B.J.P. claims the site marks Rama's birthplace but that Mogul rulers destroyed a Hindu temple there and built a mosque in its place. There is no conclusive evidence of that claim, but as a point of Hindu self-esteem, the B.J.P. demands that the mosque be moved and a huge temple to Rama built on the spot. Muslims have resisted that demand, as have all of India's governments to date, providing the B.J.P. with an explosive platform. Last October, Rama's fanatical devotees stormed the heavily policed mosque, and at least 30 died. The incident sparked Hindu-Muslim riots that left more than 500 dead, the majority of them Muslims.
The B.J.P. uses the Ayodhya issue to stir Hindu anger, but Advani is always careful to stress that he does not advocate violence against Muslims or harsh treatment of any minorities if the B.J.P. comes to power. What the B.J.P. advocates officially seems mild -- an end to Muslim personal law in civil matters and restrictions on religious schools for all minorities. But in practice, B.J.P. workers are full of hatred for Muslims and regularly provoke violent confrontations. Says Qari Moinuddin, a Muslim politician in Jaipur: "They meet you on the street and say, 'Long Live Rama!' and if you don't respond, they will kill you, or at least break your head."
To broaden its appeal, the B.J.P. in recent months has de-emphasized religion. Instead, it has promoted the party as the disciplined, ultra- nationalist remedy for the mounting ailments afflicting India, in particular the secessionist movements in Punjab, Kashmir and Assam and mounting sectarian and political violence. Since Rajiv Gandhi's assassination last month, the B.J.P. has appropriated the Congress slogan of "Stability" and argued that Gandhi's party, without a Nehru scion at the top, has become too shaky to lead India. Said Advani last week: "The B.J.P. appears to the common voter as the only oasis of stability in a scenario where all other parties seem to be on the verge of disintegration." It is up to Indian voters to decide whether the B.J.P. is the new messiah or one of the culprits in the country's instability.