Vested interests behind rumours, says Govindacharya

SHOOL TANKESHWAR (Varanasi), AUG. 19. Upset over media reports that he married Union Minister, Ms. Uma Bharti, secretly last month, the BJP ideologue, Mr. K. N. Govindacharya, has blamed ``vested interest and status quoists'' for such unfounded reports.

Speaking to reporters for the first time in two months at Shool Tankeshwar near Varanasi, Mr. Govindacharya said he was ``pained, aggrieved and felt a sense of guilt'' over such attacks on Ms. Bharti. Since 1992, attempts had been made to link his name with Ms. Bharti to put her to shame.

Asked whether his detractors in the BJP were behind such a campaign, Mr. Govindacharya said he did not think anyone in the party would oppose him in this manner.

Asked why Ms. Bharti alone was being targeted when there were other women workers in the party, he said she was a leader with a mass base and capable of forging ahead on her own.

Mr. Govindacharya admitted that he wanted to marry Ms. Bharti in 1991 and sent a proposal to her and her family through a senior BJP leader but she turned it down. Thereafter, she took sanyas and the matter ended there.

Describing Ms. Bharti as a ``political co-worker and a close friend'', Mr. Govindacharya said he respected her as a saint. She was in public life and any irresponsible propaganda against her was an attack not only against her but women at large.

Mr. Govindacharya said he was very upset about the news of his so-called marriage to Ms. Bharti reported by a TV channel. He, however, admitted that he had met her in Bangalore during the period in which he was keeping away from public life. He also admitted having spoken to her after the news was telecast.

Asked why he took so long to react, Mr. Govindacharya said, ``I first thought the whole matter had ended and there was no sense in reacting, but the telecast made me break my silence. Sometimes silence is more damaging than eloquence. I am paying the price for my silence.''

`I am not in hiding'

The former BJP general secretary said his seclusion from public life was not against the policies and programmes of the ruling National Democratic Alliance or the Swadeshi Jagran Manch. ``I am not in hiding and there is no secrecy about what I am doing. Everyone who needs to know my whereabouts is aware of this. This break from public life is part of a sabbatical that I have taken for study and introspection.''

Mr. Govindacharya said his aim was to study the ill- effects of globalisation on the economy and to find out alternative avenues. He was proceeding well on this track. The first phase of his seclusion from public life would end on November 26, and thereafter, he would decide on rejoining public activity.

He said he was devoting his time to reading books on religion and spiritualism and was keeping away from newspapers and television though a TV set was there in his room.

Mr. Govindacharya said such a phase of introspection was nothing new. Many others had done so but in his case this had been given unnecessary prominence. During this period he had been keeping close contact with common people and was trying to assess how far the present policies and programmes were capable of meeting their needs and aspirations.

He conceded that a misunderstanding has arisen about his silence and seclusion and a political colour was being sought to be given to it. But every one in public life ought to take such a break at some stage or other.

- PTI

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