RSS backs Vajpayee’s musings on Hindutva

The RSS came to the rescue of Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee today by virtually endorsing his view on Hindutva and calling upon the people to go deep into his Goa musings. RSS fielded Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiyya in the PM’s defence. He said in a written statement that ‘‘Hindutva and Bharatiyata are synonymous…If we start understanding the real meaning of the words…the useless debate over basic issues would come to an end. I attach great importance to the PM’s statement and urge people to go deep into it.’’

Alongside, the RSS released a gist of Sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudarshan’s speech delivered at Nagpur on December 29, two days prior to the release of the Goa musings. The word ‘‘Hindu’’, he says, is 2,500-year-old. ‘‘Hindu is the name for a person native to this country, whichever faith he may be following. The British, when they saw that the uniting element for centuries has been Hindutva, tried to kill it…’’

RSS spokesman Ram Madhav, however, ruled out any intervention by the Sangh to broker peace between him and the VHP. ‘‘We have no proposal to take up the issue with VHP leaders to put an end to their criticism of what Vajpayee has said.”

As for the warring parties, Vajpayee, who had yesterday promised to respond to the VHP diatribe, kept quiet today, while Giriraj Kishore ruled out any apology for having charged the PM.