Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K S Sudershan has lent a new twist to the controversy over his advice to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Kishenchand Advani to retire by hinting that all decisions in the organisation are made by consensus.
Sudershan said the RSS followed the tradition laid down by the first Sarsanghachalak [as the RSS chief is known], Dr Keshav Hedgewar of making all important decisions by consensus.
Sudershan did not name anyone or did not refer to the recent controversy over his remarks about Vajpayee and Advani, but Sangh watchers say the allusion was pretty clear -- the RSS wants a change in the top echelons of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The remarks were very much in the context of the 'retirement advice' controversy, observers said.
Sudershan was speaking at a function held in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on Friday to inaugurate a school auditorium named after Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the second Sarsanghachalak.
However, Sudershan refused to oblige a posse of newsmen waiting for his comments.
"Watch the remaining part of my interview tomorrow. You will get answers to all your questions," he quipped before speeding away in his car.
After RSS, VHP flays Advani, Atal
In his speech, Sudershan also responded to criticism that the RSS never participated in the independence struggle.
"It is true that the RSS did not have direct participation in the freedom struggle. However, several swayamsevaks [volunteers] took part in the Quit India movement of 1942 on instructions from Dr Hedgewar," Sudershan said.
What triggered the RSS outburst
Sudershan also claimed that several swayamsevaks were sentenced for their participation in the famous uprising at Chimur and Ashti in Vidarbha. Two of the nine patriots sentenced to death, and 30 of the 100 sentenced to life imprisonment in the incident were RSS volunteers, Sudershan claimed.
Meanwhile, reliable sources revealed that Vajpayee was not likely to meet Sudershan over the leadership controversy.
Instead, BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi and RSS joint general secretary Madandas Devi will meet to discuss the issue, it was learnt.
Courtesy: Central India News Service
