Throughout history, rulers have sought to exploit the religious sentiments of their people to consolidate and extend their power. Religion has long been an integral part of individual and social life, making it a potent tool for governance and control. Historical records indicate that kings and emperors often spent lavishly constructing places of worship—churches, temples, mosques, and other religious institutions—to appeal to the devout and secure their allegiance. Even in times of extreme poverty and suffering, vast amounts of resources were allocated to religious affairs. Despite their hardships, people seldom questioned these expenditures because they were, metaphorically speaking, under the "influence" of religion.

Even in modern times, the scenario remains largely unchanged. Despite significant advancements in science and technology, religious belief continues to be widespread. According to Wikipedia, approximately 85% of the global population adheres to some form of religion. Consequently, political leaders across various governmental systems frequently manipulate religious sentiments to acquire and retain power. The fundamental reason is simple: religion continues to act as an "opium of the masses," as famously stated by Karl Marx.

However, religion becomes an opiate—or even a destructive force—when it operates in the absence of critical thinking and scientific temper. When religious beliefs are tempered with reason and rationality, they can foster spiritual growth and contribute immensely to human welfare and societal progress. On the other hand, blind faith, devoid of intellectual scrutiny, renders people susceptible to manipulation. Politicians exploit this blind devotion to serve their own interests. Tragic incidents, such as the stampede during the Kumbh Mela on January 29, 2025, which claimed at least 30 lives and left 60 injured, underscore the perils of such exploitation. Despite such tragedies, people continue to flock to pilgrimage sites in massive numbers. Another catastrophe struck on February 15 at New Delhi Railway Station, where a stampede occurred due to overcrowding among devotees heading to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela. According to media reports, 18 individuals, including five children, lost their lives in the chaos.

Indian Railways confirmed that approximately 1,500 general tickets to Prayagraj were sold every hour at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15. This reckless overselling of tickets exceeded the station's capacity, creating an uncontrollable situation that ultimately resulted in a fatal stampede. Moreover, reports suggest that many individuals without tickets managed to access the platforms, raising serious concerns about the oversight and accountability of railway authorities. The lack of crowd control measures, despite extensive government promotions encouraging participation in the Kumbh Mela, highlights the administration's disregard for public safety. While the government advertised a "safe and comfortable" pilgrimage experience, it failed to ensure adequate infrastructure and security for the common people.

When individuals are systematically indoctrinated with excessive religious fervour, they become subservient and hesitant to question authority. This leads to an erosion of governmental accountability. As a result, the ruling BJP government remains confident in its ability to maintain public support despite its failures and acts of negligence. As political commentator Dhruv Rathee aptly puts it, the Modi government follows a three-step strategy to evade accountability: Step 1: Deny the incident and dismiss reports as rumours. Step 2: Acknowledge the incident but downplay its severity. Step 3: Accept the gravity of the issue but shift the blame onto the people instead of the leadership. These three steps were evident in the response of the Modi government to the two tragedies.

The root cause of both the New Delhi Railway Station and Kumbh Mela stampedes appears to be the blatant exploitation of religious sentiments for political gain. Ever since Yogi Adityanath assumed office as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he has systematically transformed Hindu festivals into grand political spectacles, leveraging them for extensive publicity and extravagant state expenditure.

The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela was orchestrated as a colossal event aimed at attracting 40 crore devotees to Prayagraj, a city with a metro population of merely 1.77 million (17 lakh). Millions of rupees were spent on advertisements to lure devotees. As reported by The Business Standard on February 14, more than 50 crore devotees had taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam—surpassing the combined population of the United States and Russia. The underlying political objective of this massive state-sponsored event was to mobilise voters ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

At the Kumbh Mela venue, billboards featuring images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dominated the landscape. Slogans such as "Modi tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain" (Modi, you lead the fight, we are with you) and "Mandir wahin banayenge" (temple will be built at the disputed site in Ayodhya) rent the air at the site of Kumbh Mela when it was opened in the early hours of January 13, 2025. The entire spectacle blurred the lines between religion and state, transforming a spiritual congregation into a political event.

Many BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, took ceremonial baths at the Sangam, enjoying VIP privileges, while television channels extensively broadcast their images. In a striking display of political symbolism, Yogi Adityanath even convened a state cabinet meeting in Prayagraj, announced various infrastructure projects and bathed at the confluence of the rivers. This direct integration of religion into governance raises serious concerns about India's commitment to secularism, as enshrined in its Constitution.

The BJP has strategically leveraged religious events as tools for political mobilisation. The Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Shiva devotees, has received unprecedented state patronage under Adityanath's administration. The government has facilitated the Yatra with police escorts, road decorations, and even aerial flower showers on Kanwar Yatris. Such initiatives reinforce the perception that the state endorses Hindu religious traditions while simultaneously marginalising other faiths. These efforts have helped the BJP solidify its support base among Hindu voters, furthering religious polarisation.

The BJP's meteoric rise from winning just two seats in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections to securing 301 seats in 2019 can largely be attributed to its ability to mobilise Hindu sentiments. The Ayodhya movement, culminating in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, played a pivotal role in shaping Hindu-Muslim polarisation. The event triggered nationwide riots that claimed over 2,000 lives, most of them Muslims. The subsequent Gujarat riots in 2002 further deepened communal divisions, paving the way for Narendra Modi's resounding victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Once in power, the Modi government institutionalised religious nationalism. The inauguration of the new Parliament building, which should have been a secular event, was transformed into a Hindu religious ceremony. Similarly, the consecration of the Ram Mandir, originally a spiritual event, was meticulously orchestrated as a state-sponsored political program, with Prime Minister Modi assuming the role of the principal priest.

The BJP prioritises religious symbolism over pressing socio-economic issues to maintain its electoral dominance. While it aggressively promotes Hindu festivals and traditions, it neglects critical concerns such as rising unemployment, declining education standards, and inadequate healthcare for the poor. This calculated strategy ensures that voters remain preoccupied with religious narratives, diverting their attention from governance failures.

If opposition parties, particularly the Congress, fail to expose the BJP's manipulative use of religious sentiments, the latter's electoral juggernaut will remain unstoppable. The defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly elections is a cautionary tale: soft Hindutva cannot counter hard Hindutva. The only way to challenge the BJP's divisive ideology is by presenting a compelling alternative vision—one that upholds the core values of the Indian Constitution: secularism, inclusivity, and social justice.