BJP cautious over RSS issue

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, FEB. 11. The Bharatiya Janata Party today decided to take a step back in caution and lower the rising political temperature in the ongoing controversy on allowing Government servants to get membership and participate in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). But, at the same time, the RSS chief himself came out with the view that except for personnel in the police and the judiciary, all other Government servants should be allowed to participate in RSS activities.

Senior party leader and spokesperson, Mr. J.P. Mathur, today indicated that ``the issue will be discussed by the BJP leaders in the Government with the leaders of the allies,'' and ``it will not be allowed to create a rift in the National Democratic Alliance,'' even as separately, at an award function organised by Panchjanya, the RSS mouthpiece, Mr. Rajendra Singh, the RSS Sarsanghchalak, was reported as having said that ``except for the police and the judiciary'', Government servants should be allowed to participate in RSS activities. The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, who was present at the function, declined to comment on the controversy.

Mr. Mathur was responding to questions in relation to the letter written to the Prime Minister by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, on this question. Mr. Karunanidhi has said that if political parties were to start their ``cultural'' and ``social'' wings and Government servants were freely allowed to participate in these activities, it would open a ``Pandora's box'' and employees affiliated to rival organisations would come into conflict destroying the apolitical functioning of the administrative machinery.

(A PTI report quoted Mr. Vajpayee as saying: ``I do not want to say anything on the matter.'')

The BJP's view is that senior party leaders in the Government - Mr. Vajpayee, Mr. L.K. Advani and others - were naturally expected to discuss the issue with the leaders of allied parties in the wake of Mr. Karunanidhi's letter. He was sure that ``this issue will not be allowed to create a rift in the NDA''.

For the last one week, senior BJP leaders at the party headquarters have been strongly defending the Gujarat Government's action in withdrawing the order that prohibits Government servants from taking part in RSS activities, saying ``there was nothing wrong in this'' since ``the RSS was a patriotic and cultural organisation''.

But the impression now is that the BJP would not like this controversy to get out of hand and become the cause of instability in the otherwise stable Vajpayee Government. Of course, Mr. Mathur admitted, that if Government servants were allowed to participate in RSS activities, the BJP would welcome it. ``If people realise that the RSS is not a political organisation, and therefore restrictions on Government servants are lifted, I will be happy.'' But it was for the Government to consider the matter.

Privately, some BJP leaders have said that the recent statements of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister - suggesting that the Centre was about to initiate a move to withdraw the restrictions on Government servants - were aimed at ``facilitating'' the entry into Government service of those who have been actively associated with the RSS.

The party leaders were also questioned on how the BJP Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Ram Prakash Gupta, could go on record suggesting that even if there were notifications forbidding Government servants from participating in RSS activities, he would simply ignore these and not comply. The answer was that a notification was not a ``law'', implying that it was not binding.

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