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Sangh parivar : BJP, RSS to mend fences |
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Keeping in mind the coming Assembly elections in five states and the Lok Sabha polls due in three years time, the BJP and the RSS appear to be engaged in a major reconciliation effort. An indication of this came from the decision on Feb. 26 to abolish the post of the RSS spokesperson. The development is seen as devised to repair the ties which hit a low when pressure from the RSS led to L.K. Advani stepping down as BJP president in December last year. Observers say that already the vibes between the BJP and the RSS have turned positive. On February 25, Advani visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, his first visit since the controversy over his Jinnah remarks erupted last year.
Sources say that during the discussion lasting almost three to four hours, three top RSS leaders and Advani agreed on the need to improve the ties between the two main wings of the Sangh Parivar and to forge an effective platform before the battle for the next polls gets joined.
While Advani agreed that BJP will have to act in a manner where the RSS is given its due respect and the party will ensure that it does not seem to act or speak against the Sangh, which has happened in the past year. The RSS agreed with the suggestion that the autonomy that BJP had traditionally enjoyed needs to be protected.
Advani pointed out that the Sangh leadership had lately been acting in a manner to create the perception of meddling in BJP’s affairs. He gave the example of the RSS reaching individual members of different Sangh components over the heads of their leaders, something that was a departure from the past. He also took up BJP’s reservations with RSS spokesperson’s tendency to hold forth on matters falling within BJP domain.
In another development, fire brand ousted leader of the BJP, Uma Bharati, announced in Bhopal that she would launch a new political party this week at a function in New Delhi. She was expelled from the party for anti-party activities last year.
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