The telecast of further excerpts from RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan’s interview to The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on NDTV’s Walk the Talk programme criticising Atal Behari Vajpayee’s record as prime minister—including an attack on the role of his foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya and principal secretary Brajesh Mishra—had a devastating effect on the BJP leadership today, undermining their desperate efforts at damage control. BJP leaders who managed to get the RSS to issue a ‘‘clarification’’ this morning on Sudarshan’s remarks calling for Vajpayee and Advani to step aside were in for a shock when fresh excerpts from the interview were shown later in the day. Initial efforts by both the RSS and BJP to dismiss Sudarshan’s comments as ‘‘very general observations’’ that were shown ‘‘out of context’’ backfired when more excerpts from the interview were telecast today. After being in a daze all day—party sources said leaders were too shell-shocked to meet the press—the BJP top brass finally held an emergency meeting at L.K. Advani’s residence this evening to come to terms with arguably the worst crisis to hit the often uneasy RSS-BJP relationship. At the end of a two-hour long meeting, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley read out a terse statement expressing the party’s total faith in the leadership of Vajpayee and Advani and reiterating their claim that the Vajpayee-led NDA government was ‘‘one of the best performing governments of the country.’’ According to well-placed sources, both Advani and Vajpayee have been ‘‘deeply hurt’’ at Sudarshan’s remarks and in addition to being hurt, Vajpayee also feels ’’very humiliated.’’ Vajpayee, who was projected as the BJP’s mascot during the 2004 election campaign, did not figure anywhere in Sudarshan’s list of India’s great leaders. The RSS chief praised certain qualities of Indira Gandhi and Narasimha Rao but made no mention of Vajpayee. To a specific question on why Vajpayee was not on his list of favourites, Sudarshan said: ‘‘We do not consider he has done any remarkable work. Yes, he was prime minister and he did take some good decisions. But he did not keep up the samvad (dialogue) with others which resulted in their sulking and there was an atmosphere as if there is a big fight in the country.’’ He was referring to Vajpayee’s refusal to keep various sections of the Sangh Parivar such as the VHP happy during his stint as prime minister. Vajpayee’s failure to hand over the land in Ayodhya to the Ramjanmabhoomi Trust was specifically mentioned. But what has hurt Vajpayee most, sources said, is Sudarshan’s attack against Brajesh Mishra and Ranjan Bhattacharya. The RSS chief had criticised them in the wake of the Tehelka controversy in March 2001 but had to swallow his remarks when Vajpayee made it clear that he would stick by the two people he trusted most regardless of the views of the Sangh. Clearly, Sudarshan neither forgot nor forgave Vajpayee’s defiance. Reminded of his 2001 views, Sudarshan said that he stood by his attack on Brajesh Mishra. Dropping a bombshell, he said, ‘‘Mishra was aligned with both Sonia Gandhi and us. When I pointed this out (to Vajpayee), he was annoyed.’’ In the same vein, he accused Ranjan Bhattacharya of interfering in the Vajpayee government. Sudarshan said, ‘‘When he became prime minister, we told him that as you are getting old and need someone to look after you and as your son-in-law is taking care of you, it is a good thing. But I told him (Vajpayee) to ensure that he (Bhattacharya) does not interfere in government or party affairs. Vajpayee’s reply was that what I was saying was correct but a bit difficult.’’ Sudarshan was less harsh on Advani but did not give him a clean chit either. His main charge against the former deputy prime minister was his refusal to stand up to Vajpayee or offer any ‘‘vaicharik vikalp’’ (ideological alternative) despite prodding from the Sangh. Advani’s excuse, Sudarshan indicated, was that the BJP was in power for the first time and he did not want to rock the boat. ‘‘But what is the use of having power only for the sake of power,’’ Sudarshan asked.
