November 4, 2014
The BJP-RSS “all is well” relationship may after all be a façade amid growing murmurs of discontent. For one, RSS does not approve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “autocratic” style of functioning, besides other issues on which it differs with the BJP. Yet, given the popular support that Modi enjoys, the Hindutva fountainhead has decided to “wait and watch”.
November 4, 2014
The BJP-RSS “all is well” relationship may after all be a façade amid growing murmurs of discontent. For one, RSS does not approve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “autocratic” style of functioning, besides other issues on which it differs with the BJP. Yet, given the popular support that Modi enjoys, the Hindutva fountainhead has decided to “wait and watch”.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
The RSS dropped enough hints in this regard when it replaced joint general secretary Suresh Soni as the pointsman between RSS and BJP with veteran Sangh leader, Krishna Gopal. It had expressed dissatisfaction with the working of Soni — considered as one of Modi’s close associates. Soni was instrumental in Modi’s selection as the BJP’s campaign chief and subsequently, the prime ministerial candidate before the 2014 general elections.
The Hindu outfit is also unhappy with the elevation of Amit Shah as it believes both the BJP president and the Prime Minister should not be from one state.
According to RSS insiders, the bone of contention has been the way Nitin Gadkari — its blue-eyed boy — has been kept out of key decision-making issues. Besides, the outfit also expressed its displeasure over senior RSS leader and former BJP organizing secretary Sanjay Joshi being ignored for any role either in the party or in the government.
The RSS has said that its chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed his displeasure over functioning of the Modi government in a closed door meeting in Agra a few days ago.
“All these issues would be discussed in the proposed pratinidhi sabha to be held in March 2015,” a senior RSS pracharak on condition of anonymity said.
Senior RSS leaders were apparently also not happy with the government’s ‘weak’ defence of Bhagwat’s statement about all Indians being originally Hindus and that they should be called so.
In the Agra meeting, Bhagwat had said that the leader of the party in power (Modi) should have propagated this statement more effectively.
PM Modi, in return, tried to pacify Bhagwat by sending Shah to Nagpur a couple of months back and also to Lucknow last month. But so far BJP’s efforts to pacify the RSS have remained futile.
Courtesy: HT
