The national and the Maharashtra leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) needs to be complimented for being better followers of Mahatma Gandhi than the Congress, of which the latter was a leader.

Among the several teachings of Mahatma Gandhi is: Punish the sin, not the sinner.

Though a party devoted to Hindutva, inadvertently or otherwise, it has also adopted what Jesus Christ said during his crucifixion, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Though it is difficult for the BJP critics to understand this, those with higher intellectual and philosophical understanding can comprehend the moves by the BJP leadership.

Even when one tries to follow what is said by great women and men or to follow the tenets of religion, it is not an easy task, given the conditioning of our minds from childhood. From childhood, we have been told that those doing wrong or committing crimes must be punished or that God punishes such people. But higher human philosophy speaks differently.

There are several instances of adherence to such high thinking by the BJP leadership. The latest being the induction of Chhagan Bhujbal in the Maharashtra cabinet, led by BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Fadnavis has exhibited the largeness of his heart by........

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