BJP president Rajnath Singh and other leaders at the concluding day of the birth centenary celebrations of the second Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh M.S. Golwalkar in New Delhi on Sunday. — Photo: PTI

New Delhi: A key RSS event with social harmony as its theme received no response from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and heads of parties other than the BJP as it remained largely a `Parivar' affair, despite invitations sent across the political spectrum.

Chief guest

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony marking the birth centenary of Sangh leader Guru Golwalkar.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh Parivar turned up at the event here in full strength as RSS chief K. S. Sudarshan and former Prime Minsiter Atal Behari Vajpayee, besides Mr. Sekhawat, adressed a public meeting on the Delhi Jal Board ground at Burari here.

Unlike the Congress-organised Satyagraha event to which no NDA constituent and the RSS were invited, the Sangh had sent invitations to UPA Chairperson Gandhi and presidents of other political parties for the Golwalkar celebrations.

Modi attends

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, also attended the celebrations along with his counterparts Vasundhara Raje from Rajasthan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi.

In his address, Mr. Shekhawat spoke extensively about poverty while Mr. Vajpayee recited a poem based on theme of the event. — PTI

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