BJP ministers don RSS uniform

JAMMU: BJP ministers in the PDPBJP coalition government today seized the opportunity to exhibit their loyalty towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS by wearing the Sangh uniform at a rally addressed by Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat here

Updated At : 05:50 AM Nov 14, 2016 IST

BJP leaders Nirmal Singh and Jitendra Singh in Jammu.

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 13

BJP ministers in the PDP-BJP coalition government today seized the opportunity to exhibit their “loyalty” towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by wearing the Sangh uniform at a rally addressed by Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat here.

Donned in RSS’ “ganvesh” (uniform) of brown trousers, the BJP ministers tried their best to occupy chairs in the front rows to remain in the limelight during the rally. Interestingly, the BJP ministers, who do not have RSS backing, were wearing normal clothes while other ministers were in Sangh uniform.

Those wearing the uniform were Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Union minister Jitendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Health Minister Bali Bhagat, Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Parkash Ganga, PHE Minister Sham Choudhary, Minister of State Sunil Sharma and Minister of State Ajay Nanda. Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh and Minister for Animal and Sheep Husbandry Abdul Gani Kohli were in normal clothes.

The Sangh had changed to its new uniform formally on Vijaydashmi. While over the years there have been minor changes to their attire, this time instead of its trademark khaki shorts RSS opted for brown trousers.

Sources said amid rumours of reshuffle in the Council of Ministers, BJP ministers made it a point to attend today’s “Shankhnaad” rally to remain in the good books of the RSS. Not only BJP ministers, party MLAs, who are hoping to get ministerial berths, were also trying their best to catch the eye of RSS leadership, said the sources.