RSS, Vajpayee break ice over lunch

In the true spirit of a Holi-Milan, the RSS buried the hatchet with Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee as all its leaders broke bread with him at ...

In the true spirit of a Holi-Milan, the RSS buried the hatchet with Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee as all its leaders broke bread with him at his official residence this afternoon, a day after the festival of colours.

The ties between the two had touched an all-time low in the wake of the Ayodhya shila-pujan controversy last year. Things only got worse as the RSS and its numerous outfits — the VHP, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh — attacked Vajpayee, his aides, government and policies. Both camps turned a new leaf this year, following the Vajpayee Government’s initiative in the Supreme Court over the undisputed land in Ayodhya.

The RSS, on its part, followed it up with the Nagpur Pratinidhi Sabha, deciding to forge ‘‘a unity of purpose’’ among all Parivar outfits.

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The Sangh delegation comprised Sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudarshan, general secretary Mohan Rao Bhagwat, Pracharak Pramukh H.Y. Seshadri, joint general secretary Madan Das Devi and executive member M.G. Vaidya. Vajpayee was accompanied by deputy L.K. Advani and BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Sources said the Parivar leaders touched a number of issues, including Ayodhya and Bangladeshi infiltration, during their one-and-a-half-hour luncheon meeting today.

According to them, the RSS leaders assured the PM that their agitation for the construction of the Ram temple will be peaceful even if its swyamsevaks join the VHP’s satyagrah over Ayodhya. They told him that they will wait for the Supreme Court decision till March 25-26.

The RSS leaders expressed hope that the apex court will lift the status quo on the acquired land by then, paving the way for the government to hand over the undisputed land to the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas.

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RSS spokesman Ram Madhav described the meeting as an ‘‘informal courtesy call’’. He said the RSS leaders briefed Vajpayee on the composition of the Sangh’s new executive and also congratulated him on the completion of five years in office. Naidu said ‘‘matters of national interest were discussed at the meeting’’.

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