The Hindu : National : RSS blames it on `dilution of Hindutva'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

National

National

RSS blames it on `dilution of Hindutva'

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, MAY 13. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliate, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have blamed the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government on the "dilution of the Hindutva ideology" by the BJP.

While the RSS held that this was "one of the factors" that led to the fall of the BJP, the VHP secretary-general, Pravin Togadia, blamed the party's defeat entirely on "betrayal" of Hindutva by the top BJP leaders.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party betrayed the Hindus. The BJP left its core ideology of Hindutva and trust on the basis of which they were voted to power. For votes they tied up with the jehadis."

Clearly indicating that he was unhappy with the start of the peace process with Pakistan, he added that "Vajpayee [the Prime Minister] and Advani [Deputy Prime Minister] used Pakistan and [Pakistan President] Musharraf to get Muslim votes."

Finally, without mincing words he said: "The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister betrayed them [the Hindus]. Hindus punished them."

The RSS spokesperson, Ram Madhav, told The Hindu that a detailed analysis of the election results would be undertaken and discussed at a meeting of the RSS office-bearers sometime later. For the moment he could say that "there was a perception over the last four to five years that there had been dilution of the Hindutva ideology." And this was one of the factors in the defeat. "The grassroots traditional voter and cadre of the RSS was not so enthusiastic about the BJP. There were also some organisational differences. Our cadres did work [for the BJP during the elections], but there was resentment on several issues, Hindutva and also economic issues," Mr. Madhav added.

However, the RSS was reluctant to fully endorse Dr. Togadia's statement. Mr. Madhav indicated that winning or losing was part of the political game and there was "no question of the RSS pressuring Mr. Vajpayee to retire" or go into the background. He denied speculative reports that the NDA defeat and the considerable reduction in the number of the seats won by the BJP itself would be used to ease Mr. Vajpayee out and replace him with Mr. Advani as the pre-eminent leader of the BJP. "Mr. Vajpayee was the BJP and the NDA leader, he will remain that," he added.

The "other factors" that came into play during the elections was the "failure of key alliance partners, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu," Mr. Madhav added.

The RSS leaders are currently engaged in their training programmes that will continue till June 15. "After that we will certainly meet to discuss in detail the factors that led to the defeat," he added.

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