RSS leaders try to clear the air after uproar over ‘arrogance’ jibe at BJP

A day after saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had become “arrogant” and paid the price for it in the Lok Sabha polls, senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar on June 14 went back on his statement and claimed that the party, which has devotion towards Lord Ram, is in power today.

Mr. Kumar’s flip-flop came as a controversy had erupted over his statement against the BJP, which was widely criticised by senior party leaders.

‘God’s justice’

While speaking at an event titled ‘Ramrath Ayodhya Yatra Darshan Poojan Samaroh’ held in Jaipur on June 13, the RSS leader had said: “One can easily see the justice of Ram Rajya in the recently-held elections. Those who worshipped [Lord] Ram but gradually became arrogant were made the single-largest party but were also stopped at 240 [seats]. The power which they were supposed to get was stopped.”

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Mr. Kumar further added that “those who had no faith in Ram, they together were stopped at 234 [seats]. God’s justice is true and enjoyable”.

Poll results a reality check for ‘overconfident’ BJP: RSS mouthpiece Organiser

His remarks came just days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had said that a true sevak (worker) can never have arrogance and serves the people by maintaining dignity.

Reacting to Mr. Kumar’s words, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said Lord Ram has given NDA the mandate and the government is working for the people. “Let him be happy with that...those who are saying this should think about themselves,” Mr. Manjhi added.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also reacted to the RSS leader’s statement and said that even if the number of seats won by Congress in the last three general elections were counted together, the Opposition party will not be able to reach the mark where BJP stands in this election.

Not the RSS view

A senior RSS office-bearer in Delhi claimed that the RSS does not support or endorse what Mr. Kumar had said.

Speaking on the recent article published in RSS’s English mouthpiece Organiser in which a Sangh member, Ratan Sharda had written that the results of Lok Sabha polls have come as a reality check for “overconfident” BJP workers who failed to understand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a target of 400 plus seats was a target for them and not for the Opposition.

“Indresh Kumar or Ratan Sharda are not authorised to speak on RSS’s behalf so whatever they say is in their personal capacity,” said the RSS office-bearer who did not wish to be named.

He also claimed that even Mr. Bhagwat’s statement on “arrogance” was for the RSS volunteers and not for either the ruling or Opposition parties.

Chang in tack

After the uproar stirred up controversy, Mr. Kumar put out a video on Friday in which he said: “The country’s atmosphere is crystal clear right now. Those who opposed Lord Ram are out of power, and those who took the pledge of devotion towards Lord Ram are in power today and a government has been formed under the leadership of Narendra Modi for the third time. The country will make progress under his leadership. There is this trust among the people. We hope that this trust thrives.”

The statements of Mr. Bhagwat and Mr. Kumar have once again highlighted the rift between the BJP and its ideological fountainhead.

If the sources in the RSS are to be believed, the recent tensions were sparked off after BJP president J.P. Nadda, in an interview to an English daily, had said that the BJP is now matured enough and hence operates independently of the RSS. “His remarks did not gone down well within RSS cadre. It has demoralised the volunteers,” said the RSS office-bearer.