The RSS, which had favoured a younger leadership of BJP in the wake of former party chief L K Advani’s controversial remarks about Pakistan founder M A Jinnah, today hailed the decision of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpyee to quit politics of power.In a letter written by K S sudarshan on the occasion of Sahastradarshan (1,000 moons) celebrations of the former prime minister, read out by senior RSS functionary Madandas Devi at a function in Mumbai, the Sarsanghchalak said Vajpayee’s announcement was ‘‘in conformity with classical Indian tradition wherein a person holding power hands over reins to a deserving suyogy (successor) and himself attains a more exalted position’’.The RSS chief recalled it was former Sarsanghchalak Guruji Golwalkar who had chosen both Vajpayee and Advani—who were pracharaks then—to join the newly formed Jan Sangh when its founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mookherjee sought the Sangh’s cooperation.Neither Vajpayee nor Sudarshan was present at the celebrations here, organised by Keshav Srishti, a charitable organisation linked to the Sangh Parivar.
