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Sangh Parivar : A divided house |
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The RSS national executive meeting held in Haridwar last week has shown up the divisions in the Sangh Parivar as well as its political face, the BJP. But paradoxically, it appears to have hastened the process of the BJP returning to hardline Hindutva ideology. Briefing reporters after the two-day meeting of the national executive, RSS general secretary Mohan Bhagwat said : “The BJP has given an assurance that they will return to Hindutva. Let us see how they fulfil it.” While he declined to set a timeframe for the BJP to return to its original Hindutva ideology, Bhagwat said the RSS expected the party to take a clear stand on the Hindutva issues like the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya and cow protection.
Earlier, fissures in the RSS were shown up when Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders initially refused to attend the meeting in protest against the presence of BJP president L.K. Advani. VHP chief Ashok Singhal and firebrand leader Parveen Togadia stayed away from the RSS meeting till Advani and former BJP president Venkaiah Naidu left the venue. The VHP leaders told the Sangh leadership that they would not sit with BJP leaders till the party returned to the Hindutva fold.
Reports from Haridwar say that the RSS expects the BJP to take a firm stand on Hindutva and allied issues at its coming three-day national executive meeting in Ranchi from November 24. During the two-day RSS meeting, Sangh representatives from across the country were highly critical of the BJP for not only abandoning its ideology, but also for the corruption that had crept into its machinery and the alienation of its leaders from the grassroots.
During the week, there were other interesting developments in the BJP. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti who had earlier refused to join the L.K. Advani team, ultimately relented and agreed to become general secretary of the party. But she caused a flutter immediately afterwards by asking the leadership to get rid of power brokers. She admitted that she had reservations about Parmod Mahajan’s inclusion in the new BJP team.
Another development during the week was the tentative talk of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad about the need to form a Hindu Manch to safeguard the interests of Hindus. VHP leader Giriraj Kishore was critical of Advani and accused the BJP of using the Ayodhya issue only to come to power. Former Gujarat Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari, who has not found a place in the party’s national executive, accused the party brass of ignoring senior leaders. He was also critical of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Gujarat Government machinery was inactive while handling the post-Godhra riots. Bhandari said : “The damage that took place could have been prevented if the Government machinery had become active from the first moment.”
The BJP’s return to its Hindutva agenda continues to cause concern among its allies in the National Democratic Alliance. The NDA will be meeting on November 15 to seek clarifications from the BJP on its Ayodhya stand. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu has criticised the BJP for attempting to revive the Ram Temple agenda. He said the TDP will go its own way if the BJP leadership continues with its changed perspective.
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