Mumbai: An incisive article in the latest issue of the RSS magazine "Organiser" has made a barely veiled attack on the BJP leadership and workers. Authored by Ratan Sharda, a senior idealogue of the RSS and its spokesperson in national television debates, it starts by asserting that the "results of the 2024 general elections have come as a reality check for overconfident karyakartas and many leaders." It said Modi's call for 400 + seats was a target for the karyakartas and a dare to the opposition.
"Targets are achieved by hard work on the field, not (by) sharing posters and selfies on social media" it says rather caustically. This is probably for the first time that a senior thinker of the RSS has come out frankly against the failings of the BJP and that too in the "Organiser" which is known to reflect the views of the top RSS leadership.
Sharda has also responded to allegations that the RSS did not work for the BJP in this elections. "Let me say bluntly, RSS is not a field force of BJP. In fact, the BJP, the biggest party in the world has its own karyakartas. The routine electoral work of reaching out to the voters, explaining the party agenda etc are their responsibility. If BJP volunteers don't reach out to RSS, they have to answer why they thought it was not required" he observed. It may be recalled that BJP president J.P. Nadda had stated that the party was not dependent on the RSS.
Sharda noted that "the idea that Modiji is fighting on all 543 seats has a limited value. This idea became self-defeating when candidates were changed, imposed at the cost of local leaders and defectors given more importance. Sacrificing even well performing parliamentarians to accommodate latecomers hurt. It is estimated that around 25 % of the candidates were seasonal migrants. This happened despite the shocking experience of 30 % rebels in the last Himachal Pradesh elections that resulted in the defeat of the BJP. Local issues (and) track record of the candidate does matter...Disinterest of local BJP workers was due to this factor also."
Sharda has slammed BJP M.P.s and MLAs who are inaccessible to people. "The biggest grouse of any BJP or RSS worker and common citizen for years have been difficulty or even impossibility of meeting the local M.P. or MLA, forget ministers....Why are BJP elected M.P.s and ministers always `busy'? Why are they never visible in their constituencies? " he has asked and said the number of M.Ps. who have traversed their constituencies intensively at least thrice in five years can be counted on the fingertips, he has added.
Sharda said it was decided to form an organisation to promote Hindu-Sikh unity in Maharashtra. However, for three years the BJP-led government did not allot an office or staff. When the MVA came to power it dissolved this body within seven days. The organisation's team is now waiting for the past several months just to get an appointment with the Maha Yuti government.
Sharda has also accused BJP netas, who are otherwise active on the social media, of keeping mum when BJP/RSS workers are murdered. "People insulting Ram and Hindu dharma get a red carpet welcome but a young and seasoned Nupur Sharma is scolded harshly and publicly.
Most significantly Sharda has also come down heavily on the Maharashtra unit of the BJP of indulging in "unnecessary politicking and avoidable manipulations." He asked where was the need to take Ajit Pawar into the government when the BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) had a comfortable majority. "Sharad Pawar would have fades away in two-three years as NCP would have lost energy with infighting between cousins. Why was this ill- advised step taken? BJP workers were hurt because they had fought against this Congress ideology for years....In a single strike the BJP reduced its brand value. After years of struggle to become numero uno in Maharashtra, it became just another political party without any difference," it was pointed out.
Sharda has heavily criticised the induction of Congressmen "who had actively promoted the bogey of saffron terror, had persecuted Hindu and called 26/11 RSS ki Sazish (conspiracy)" in to the BJP. Entry of these Congressmen showed the BJP in poor light and also hurt Hindu sentiments.
Finally, Sharda has asked the BJP to do honest introspection and carry out course corrections and "come back stronger by winning back people's goodwill."
