The BJP and RSS are upset with former Sangh chief K.S. Sudarshan for his remarks on the Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Maintaining a safe distance from former RSS chief’s remarks, the BJP on Thursday said Mrs Gandhi was a democratically elected leader and should be “treated with respect”.
The party feels that the remarks could affect its move to mount pressure on the ongoing scams, since the attack was “personal”. Sensing that Mr Sudarshan’s remarks could get the party in an awkward situation, the BJP cancelled its media briefing on Thursday. The RSS, on the other hand distanced itself from its former chief’s remarks saying whatever Mr Sudarshan said were not its views. The RSS, it was learnt, has decided to keep away its former chief from all its campaigns against the “UPA government’s conspiracy to tarnish Sangh’s image on the basis of Hindu terrorism.”
The RSS leadership, which had been attacking Congress for linking it with “saffron terror”, was at unease after Sudarshan’s remarks. BJP top brass also discussed the issue and its implication, especially at a time when the main Opposition was “happy” with its pressure tactic on the government over various scams. Sources said there is a major discomfort among BJP and RSS over Mr Sudarshan’s remarks against the Congress chief which he had made at a public meeting in Bhopal on Wednesday. While most of the BJP leaders refrained from making any statement on the issue, Rajya Sabha MP and party spokesperson Tarun Vijay said Congress chief is a democratically elected leader and therefore, “Whatever political differences we have with her must be addressed within an accepted, democratic framework and behaviour.”
The RSS, which had organised a nationwide agitation on Wednesday against the ruiling Congress for “maligning” its image by linking it to “saffron terror”, issued a statement claiming that whatever Mr Sudarshan said, it cannot be associated with the RSS.