The BJP-VHP announced a countrywide bandh on July 3. As usual, almost at every place the bandh proved to be violent. Indore proved to be most violent, next only to Jammu, claiming about 8 to ten lives. In Rajasthan, the bandh was not much violent except a few places.
In Jodhpur the BJP activists entered the Muslim localities and shouted slogans against Muslims. In Ajmer, glasses of the vehicles of the Zaireen (visitors to Ajmer dargah) were broken by the VHP activists at Baradari and Ram Prasad Ghat. And at a few places they made the Zaireen run for safety while at some other places they attacked them and beat them up.
In Jaipur it was a bit more violent. The BJP-VHP activists were freely roaming on the main roads wielding swords and other weapons. Women activists did not lag behind their male counterparts as they also came out to get the shops forcibly closed, frightening the shopkeepers with swords in their hands and shouting slogans against the Jammu & Kashmir Government.
At some places there were minor clashes between the activists and the shopkeepers. Almost all markets remained closed, not in favour of the bandh but due to the terror of the BJP-VHP activists. The police remained passive, save at a few places where they had to apply some degree of force to stop the hooligans from unleashing violence. This indicates utilisation of government resources for the party benefits in the BJP-ruled State.
The whole episode can be seen in context of the forthcoming assembly and probably, parliamentary elections. BJP had otherwise no issue at hand that might boost up their election campaign. The Ram Mandir issue has almost lost its charm and in order to polarise the Hindu votes hate-mongering is the crucial weapon of the Sangh Parivar.