The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : RSS silent over State political developments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

RSS silent over State political developments

Staff Reporter

`BJP is the best judge to decide what course of action is to be taken'

BANGALORE: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) prefers not to comment on the turbulent political atmosphere in the state, especially when its political face, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is playing a key role in the possible formation of a coalition government with the Janata Dal (Secular).

"We do not have any opinion regarding the formation of such a government," highly placed sources in the RSS told The Hindu while pointing out that neither had the BJP asked for the opinion of the RSS nor had the sangh given any advice to the BJP in the formation of an alternative government.

`Different concerns'

"We are into all-round development and growth of the State and the nation while the BJP is into politics," the sources said. The BJP is the best judge to decide what course of action is to be taken in the best interests of the State as none had foreseen the present political situation, they said.

In fact, a recent high-level meeting of the southern India unit of the RSS did discuss the issue. Sources said it was decided in the meeting that the RSS should not air any opinion in the matter and should leave the issue to be addressed by the BJP itself.

When asked to comment on the political scenario off the record, a senior RSS functionary said, "I may have my individual opinion. If I express the same, it will become the official version of the sangh as I represent the sangh in the region. Hence, I don't have any comments."

If the BJP or the RSS were communal, there would not have been so many faces from the minorities in various programmes and projects of the two organisations, the sources said. They said the birth centenary celebrations of Guruji would involve a number of eminent personalities from the minority communities both at the national level and at the State level. P.N. Benjamin and Mumtaz Ali Khan are in the State-level birth centenary committee headed by the environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy.

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