Bharatiya Janata Party

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; Indian People's Party) is a political party that promotes Hindu nationalism. BJP members increased their political influence and gained international attention in the 1990s, when they worked with their partner organizations the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in implementing mass-scale rituals and politicized processions over the building of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. These activities fostered popular support for the BJP in various regions of India. The processions also provoked violence between Hindus and Muslims. Currently, the party strives to promote a more moderate image by stressing economic reform and national security.

The BJP was established in 1980 as the successor of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS). The BJP promulgates two political ideologies: integral humanism and ...