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Journalism of Courage
With knives out for the BJP president, former RSS spokesman and senior ideologue M G Vaidya today disclosed that the recent Surat conclave of pracharaks had also arrived at a consensus in favour of L K Advani’s resignation.
In the first clearly-worded admission from the RSS on the issue, Vaidya said in his Sunday column in the pro-RSS daily Tarun Bharat that ‘‘the RSS pracharaks candidly opined at Surat that Advani should resign in the wake of his statements in Pakistan.’’
But Vaidya said that when Mohan Bhagwat recently met the BJP office-bearers in Delhi, it was unlikely that they were told that Advani ought to resign. ‘‘I feel Sushma Swaraj’s claim that the issue of resignation didn’t figure at all was correct,’’ Vaidya adds.
At the same time, he suggests that the BJP leadership may have been informed of what the RSS pracharaks felt on the issue. ‘‘If telling what RSS workers’ felt is applying pressure, then it may well be seen as that,’’ Vaidya says.
Stressing that the Sangh values ideals more than individuals, he says, ‘‘When it comes to choosing between ideals and individuals, there should be no confusion in the minds of swayamsevaks. And that precisely was what the Delhi statement had underlined.’’
Vaidya, who took potshots at the media’s ‘‘ignorance’’ about the RSS’s style of functioning, however, refrained from making any comment on reports that he was appointed to deal with the BJP.
Sinha for quick solution
HAZARIBAG: Yashwant Sinha, the first BJP leader to criticise Advani for his Jinnah remarks, today said the party should emerge from the present crisis at the earliest as it had important challenges ahead. ‘‘I hope senior leaders of the party, who are directly involved in decision-making, could resolve the matter soon,’’ he said.
