RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘arrogance’ remark sends BJP in denial & doubt

BJP stays in denial mode over Mohan Bhagwat’s Nagpur speech

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, June 14: Days after the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat slammed arrogance of power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains in denial while doubts creep in the party ranks. The RSS functionary Indresh Kumar too shed light on ‘arrogance’ of power.

The BJP functionaries argue that the statement of Bhagwat was in general for the people in the public life. They assert that Bhagwat had none specifically in mind while making the remark.

But Bhagwat had said that a “Swayamsewak cannot be arrogant”. The remarks of the RSS chief had come during his speech in Nagpur at the conclusion of the two years training programme for the workers.

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“The RSS chief had no person in mind while he spoke of arrogance of power. His statements were of general nature,” said a senior BJP functionary.

But Bhagwat had also spoken of the Manipur violence in his speech. “Manipur is waiting for peace for more than a year. This should be the top priority,” Bhagwat had said.

Atul Tare wrote in Swadesh that it was laughable to see the commentators linking Bhagwat’s remarks with the BJP. “Bhagwat suggested that parliament should hold health debate. The political rivals should not be enemies to each other,” Tare wrote in the column.

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But Indresh Kumar who is the RSS points person for other religions also attributed to arrogance of power in the context of the poll shocker McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh, besides the Muslim intellectuals.

The RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosbole had reportedly taken party in the review meetings with the senior BJP leaders after the poll verdict. Krishna Gopal of the RSS had been a long-term contact of the RSS with the BJP.

The RSS will be commemorating 100 years of the foundation of the organisation next year. The BJP leaders argue that the RSS will certainly not wish to create rift with the political wing of the organisation.

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But the BJP Jagat Prakash Nadda in an interview during the Lok Sabha campaign had claimed that the party is strong enough to contest the polls on own and the outfit wasn’t dependent on the RSS as had been the norms in the past. “This remark of Nadda caused a major damage to the prospects of several of the candidates of the Lok Sabha elections,” said another senior BJP functionary.

While the BJP largely stays in a denial mode of the import of Bhagwat’s speech, old timers grimly note that the anger in the ranks of the RSS could prove detrimental to the overall health of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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