A high-level meeting was held between top leaders of the BJP and the RSS on Sunday at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Sources said the meeting discussed a host of issues ranging from the relations between the party and the Sangh to the upcoming state elections, to the Bangladesh crisis. While official sources termed it as a “routine meeting”, it assumes significance in the backdrop of strained ties between the party and its ideological parent in recent months, even as several pressing issues have also come up. The RSS-linked outfits recently flagged the NEET paper leaks and called for improving the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA). The unrest in Bangladesh, where there are reports of attacks on Hindus, has been repeatedly highlighted by the RSS, which is constantly monitoring the situation. The BJP is also likely to have a new president soon, with many in the party and the RSS expecting an announcement of the same before the August-end coordination meeting of the latter with its affiliated organisations in Kerala. Sources said the leaders – Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president and Health Minister J P Nadda besides Rajnath Singh from the BJP and Dattatreya Hosable and Arun Kumar from the Sangh – discussed many issues including “ways to improve the party-Sangh relations further”. Apart from the prospective changes in the BJP, there were discussions about the upcoming RSS meeting in Kerala, where the coordination between the party and the Sangh would be taken up for deliberations. Sources said the leaders also discussed the concerns over the safety of Bangladeshi Hindus and the government’s efforts to ensure their security. “When such meetings happen, a lot of issues are discussed. All I can tell you is that the matter of concern for the party in the near future (elections) were discussed. The Bangladesh situation is an important issue for the Sangh, so it was obviously discussed,” a senior RSS leader said. Elaborating on the RSS’s concern over the turmoil in Bangladesh, the leader said, “The Bangladesh situation is not just about protection of minorities. It is also a matter of our national security. The regime change there could have repercussions for our borders, our internal security. It could even cast its shadow on our domestic socio-politics.” The meeting, which was held for close to five hours in the evening, discussed a variety of prevailing issues, it is learnt. The RSS has been at the forefront in articulating its concern over the Bangladesh crisis since the day ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country due to violent protests against her rule. The VHP then issued a statement, urging the government to protect Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. This was followed by a meeting with Amit Shah and a statement from Hosabale on the issue. The relations between the BJP and the RSS, which were marked with tension during the Lok Sabha polls that adversely impacted the former's performance, have come into focus again due to the forthcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. It is expected that the BJP would focus on improving its coordination with the Sangh in order to face these stiff electoral challenges as a united force.
