The BJP use Hindutva to hide India's poor economic performance

Modi’s economic miracle has failed to materialize and India's economy has lost its lustre.^[1] There is large-scale youth unemployment occurring amidst the collapse of individual political rights.^[2] The BJP’s economic record is mixed and Modi’s soaring ambitions for the country sit in stark relief to his government’s underwhelming performance.^[3] Hopes of the BJP revitalizing the economy have faded and India has lost its top slot as the world’s fastest-growing economy.^[4] Unemployment rates hit a 46-year high (6.6%) in 2018, despite the government’s emphasis on economic growth and employment.^[5][6] Most of India remains rural and the rural sector is particularly suffering.^[7] Projects that have had absorbed large quantities of government money, such as cleaning up the Ganges, have seen few results.^[5] The major losses in five state elections in previous BJP strongholds were attributed to the rising cost of living and unemployment.^[8]The BJP have also returned to their old, divisive identity politics to distract from this failure to deliver on the faster economic growth, jobs and opportunities that were promised in the 2014 election campaign.^[9]

[P1] The BJP have failed to deliver on their economic plans and election promises. [P2] They are perpetuating harmful nationalist ideas to distract from this.