New Delhi, April 12
In yet another embarrassment to the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today endorsed RSS chief K. S. Sudarshan’s remarks that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP President L. K. Advani should retire and promote young leaders in the party.
The VHP, which has been at loggerheads with Mr Vajpayee, for not pushing the Ram Temple issue during his tenure, said: “Unfortunately, the Hindu movement which should have got adequate momentum during the NDA rule, had, in fact, got torpedoed.”
The VHP went a step further projecting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje among second-line BJP leaders having a mass following and capability to take on the mantle of the BJP.
“I fully agree with what RSS chief K. S. Sudarshan had remarked about Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani (in an interview to a private television channel). As senior RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh has been saying, any person who crosses 60 years should quit active politics and should not hold any office of profit and should do social service.... If they (Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani) are not in a position to do social service, they should encourage younger leaders and guide them,” VHP Senior Vice-President and spokesperson Acharya Giriraj Kishore said.
Asked who the VHP thought could be the possible successor to Mr Advani among the BJP’s secondline leaders, Mr Kishore said: “I think Narendra Modi, Uma Bharti and Vasundhara Raje are the only leaders among the BJP’s second line who have a massive mass base.”
When pointed out that Mr Sudarshan had remarked that BJP General Secretary Sushma Swaraj should take over as party President, the VHP leader said “no doubt Ms Swaraj is also popular and a capable person, but she doesn’t enjoy the kind of mass base Mr Modi, Ms Bharti and Ms Scindia have.”
Asked about Mr Sudarshan’s charge about Mr Vajpayee’s the then Principal Secretary, Mr Brajesh Mishra’s links with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he said: “On certain basis, we too had information. We know about his family also.”
Dismissing suggestions that the RSS was “under pressure” from the BJP and had “backtracked” on its own chief’s statement, Mr Kishore said: “It was only an explanation as the BJP misinterpreted Sudarshan’s statement.”
On the BJP reaffirming its faith in the leadership of Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani, the VHP leaders said: “It is expected of them and this will not affect the prestige of the RSS.”
