Jai Shri Ram, a phrase meaning victory to Lord Ram, the Ayodhya prince described in the various versions of the Ramayana, has become one of the most politically charged phrases in India. A recent report argues that chanting it is no longer seen as a purely religious act but as a slogan that advances the BJP’s agenda, and notes that it trends regularly on social media.

From temple movement to campaign trail

The chant came to be associated with the BJP during the Ram temple movement launched by the VHP around 1990-92. It was heard frequently at BJP rallies during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign. Today, the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena use it as a battle cry, and in West Bengal it has become a rallying call for BJP workers against the Trinamool Congress.

Clash with Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has campaigned strongly against the slogan. During the Lok Sabha campaign she was seen stopping her car to rebuke people chanting it, and her opponents have since taken to shouting it whenever they spot her at public functions.

• In May, days after the Lok Sabha results, seven people were arrested in Bengal for chanting the slogan as her convoy passed.
• Last week, in what the report describes as a response to the BJP’s charge of Muslim appeasement, she flagged off the Jagannath Puri rath yatra, where sections of the crowd and some BJP supporters greeted her with the chant.

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has also spoken out against the slogan, arguing that it does not belong to Bengali culture.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party, political leaders.

Originally published on 13 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us