Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: The RSS on Friday expressed disappointment over the infighting in the BJP, but refused to draw up a road map for the party`s revival unless it was asked to.
In a rare press conference that has been timed when the BJP is facing its most serious crisis, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said: "Whatever is happening is not right, it should stop. Nobody finds it good," Bhagwat said.
The Hindu nationalist RSS is the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
Speaking in public for the first time since the trouble erupted in the BJP following the release of Jaswant Singh`s book praising Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the RSS chief maintained that this did mean the end of the road for the party.
"To say they (BJP) are going towards an abyss is not correct, they got a jolt in the elections and they should get over it. We think that they will be able to do it."
He steered clear of Jaswant Singh`s book and only said: "I have not read the book; I haven`t got the time to read it, but I will read it and form an opinion."
Asked about the role the Sangh would play in the BJP`s revival, he said it was not necessary that "every time the role (of RSS in BJP affairs) is visible."
He also refused to draw up any road map or advice to the BJP.
"The Sangh (RSS) has its own task (of uniting the society). If the party needs some help and some advice, we will give it. But what has to be done and what not is the decision of the party," Bhagwat asserted.
The RSS chief said it was for the BJP to "think and decide" its own future and added: "We are not worried (about the goings-on in the BJP) and it is immaterial whether the Sangh is happy or not happy about it; the BJP has to think and decide its future."
Referring to his recent suggestion that a younger leadership take over the reins of the BJP, the 58-year-old Bhagwat said: "Fifty to sixty years is the average age for the Sangh leadership and it`s for the political party to decide what should be the right age for it."
BJP leaders meet RSS chief, Advani
The BJP late tonight dismissed as
media speculation reports that leadership change or a
succession plan was discussed at the meeting its four senior
leaders had with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The meeting came immediately after Bhagwat made an open
appeal to the crisis-ridden BJP at a rare press conference by
a chief of RSS to put its house in order by working unitedly
after party president Rajnath Singh and Leader of Opposition
L K Advani came under attack from a section of the party.
Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth
Kumar held over three-hour deliberations with the RSS chief to
discuss the problems afflicting their party, as the Sangh
Parivar founthead appeared to have stepped to defuse the
crisis.
"There was no discussion on succession or leadership
change and these are all media speculation," Naidu said.
He said the BJP leaders had met Bhagwat as he was in town.
"It was your speculation and you will be disappointed,"
Naidu told reporters at the residence of Advani when asked
whether leadership change was discussed at the late night
meetings.
After meeting Bhagwat, the four leaders briefed Advani
about the deliberations. The meeting with Advani lasted about
90 minutes.
Bhagwat, as per TV reports, told the leaders to arrive at a decision with consensus and to involve Advani and president Rajnath Singh in the process.
He said it was normal for BJP leaders to meet the RSS
chief when he is in Delhi. "Some people met him yesterday,
some others met him today and some of us will be meeting him
tomorrow," Naidu said.
However, sources near to the leaders revealed that succession and leadership in the party was discussed. The discussions may be the first step towards the exit of LK Advani.
IANS inputs
