RSS Gives Grief To PM Modi, Steps Up Attack

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing, perhaps the most difficult insofar as he is concerned, resistance from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Key front organisations of the RSS have moved on to the streets, and into official forums, opposing key legislations being spearheaded by PM Modi himself.

Five RSS backed organisations are learnt to have deposed at the Joint Committee of Parliament against the Land Acquisition Bill that the Prime Minister has turned into a ‘prestige issue’ and is determined to push through despite strong protest from the Opposition and the more visible farmers bodies.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, and RSS pracharak Govindacharya’s organisations including the Bharat Vikas Sangam have been protesting on the streets, have made representations before the parliamentary joint committee, and given interviews and statements against the current BJP led NDA government on different issues.

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has participated in protests called by the Left and Congress led trade unions against the government’s amendments in the labour laws. It distanced itself from the BJP saying that it stood for the workers, and was not responsible for the government and its policies.

The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has joined farmers organisations on the streets against the amendments to the Land Acquisition Bill. Sources said that while all five organisations had appeared before the joint parliamentary committee taking a strong stand against the Modi government position, this farmers body has been adamant in its support for the original Bill mooted by the Congress led UPA government.

Govindacharya, a recognised RSS ideologue, has been muted till recently in his criticism of PM Modi on the issue of corruption amongst others. He has now come out with an interview to The Hindu where he said clearly that the RSS confidence in PM Modi and his government has been “eroded.”

Now when the government is facing flak on the Lalit Modi issue, Govindacharya who has the reputation of speaking his mind when he decides to further said that the government was “power centric, not people-centric.” Values had been bid “goodbye” he said adding, “the people are driven by morality, not legalities. The message in faraway villages is that something wrong has been committed by those who spoke of zero tolerance for corruption. ...the perception is that influential and powerful people oblige each other…”

Govindacharya further added in a direct reference to the Prime Minister, "Narendra Modi is an intelligent, knowledgeable person and must have understood the extent of damage to his credibility. I hope political sense will prevail before Parliament resumes… Electoral defeats and successes are just a passing phase, but goodwill and credibility among the people need to be safeguarded."

Govindacharya articulated the thinking in influential sections of the RSS that PM Modi should “be intelligent enough to forsake one state government rather than allow a scratch on his credibility."

Interestingly there is a rift in the Sangh as when the Lalitgate scandal first broke, the first to come out in defence of Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj was RSS leader Indresh Kumar. He has clout in the organisation and is also close to the other BJP leader currently in the dock, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Interestingly Govindacharya also spoke of the internal problems of the BJP stating, "there is a heavy dialogue and trust deficit within the party which acts against the spirit of teamwork. Lack of participation in decision-making is felt intensely by those who expect themselves to be involved, whether MPs, MLAs or National Executive members. Most of them feel they don’t get an opportunity for an audience with senior leaders, forget participation.”

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has also spoken out now on the record, against the move to bring FDI in retail amongst other issues including the Land Acquisition Bill. This RSS affiliate has been very critical of the Modi government’s economic policies with co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan recording this earlier in a letter to the Prime Minister where he placed on record the SJM’s “pain and disapproval.” It demanded that the government “take corrective measures and drop FDI in multi-brand retail from the list of sectors permitted for FDI.”

"People expected that your Government will roll back the anti-people decision of the previous regime at the earliest. But it is shockingly painful to note that in an elusive chase of a mirage of satisfying foreign investors the BJP has decided to take blame of U-turn and ensure continuity of the policy of FDI in retail," the letter stated.

The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, a RSS backed tribal body, appeared before the joint parliamentary committee to strongly oppose the governments amendments to the Land Acquisition Bill as well. Sources said that this body too has been unequivocal in its opposition to PM Modi’s position.

The criticism is becoming more vocal, despite the fact that the Prime Minister and the government has accommodated several RSS backed individuals as members or heads of cultural, educational and other such bodies including the Censor Board and now the Film Institute at Pune. However, the pressure continues regardless with corruption, land, and economic policies being opposed vehemently by the RSS affiliates. As the sources said, at this point when the government was facing the heat from both the Opposition and the media on the Lalit Modi issue, the RSS too seemed to be ratcheting up the pressure with on the record interviews and statements against the Prime Minister.