How do you stand up for Hindus when there is no evidence that they are being discriminated against? The BJP’s rise to prominence during the 80s came at a time when the hard secularism of the Congress (Shah Bano, The Satanic Verses, Babri Masjid, etc.) had provoked a Hindu backlash. These days, however, there is no backlash. Nobody seriously believes that Muslims have a terrific deal in India or that Hindus are suffering.
Early attempts by the BJP to link Muslims with terrorism and to awaken Hindu insecurities have failed. Nobody seriously disputes that some Muslims are involved in terrorism. But equally, hardly anyone sees this as a reflection on the whole Muslim community. Nor is there any sense in which the terrorism is specifically directed at Hindus. Muslims also die in bomb blasts and the worst terrorism takes place in such Muslim countries as Pakistan, where the jihadis delight in killing their own people. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=c963d6cd-3fc7-430b-a2ca-b6b2f539a6e8&Headline=Why+the+BJP+lost+its+voice