The Hindu : National : "Understanding Vajpayee difficult"

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Tuesday, Sep 27, 2005

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National

"Understanding Vajpayee difficult"

Special Correspondent

Reference to his veiled criticism of RSS

NEW DELHI: Deciphering the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was as difficult as trying to get at the meaning of Tulsidas' Ram Charit Manas. "It takes time to understand Atalji's views. It is like reading Tulsidas' Ram Charit Manas, you can read a new meaning into it on each reading."

That was Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh's response when he was asked by reporters on Monday on the meaning of Mr. Vajpayee's veiled criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday when he had said that there was "no final principle of any ideology" and "there should be no restriction on ideas and thoughts." He had remarked, "Our friends have made an attempt to limit the thought process. It is not necessary that all of us accept it [ideology] in the same form." The reference to was seen to be a reference to the RSS leaders. Mr. Singh said that just as religion, ideology should not be reduced to a set of rituals. "There should be openness of thinking, but with discipline, if there is no openness then rot sets in.

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