Bhagwat seeks special law on Ram Temple

Strap: Urges minority support for peace and harmony

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Refreshing his appeal over contemporary India’s most divisive tangle — Ram Janmabhumi issue — the RSS boss Mohanrao Bhagwat asked Parliament to pass a law for the construction of Ram Temple and sought support of the Muslim minority.

“Though the matter is pending before the court, I appeal Muslim brethrens to sink their difference and come forward to support the move of national integration” Bhagwat was speaking during an interactive session over ‘Role and Responsibility of RSS’ on Thursday.

He was speaking in the background of the Allahabad High Court ruling of September 2010 which left the temple claimants triumphal but it also gave a toehold to mosque protagonists by three way split division of disputed land.

“Constructing temple is not the issue of prestige or disgrace…fissiparous forces have been creating a divide between two communities for their petty political end. Constructing Ram temple at Ayodhya is a matter of national pride and confirmation of our faith in pluralistic society. Indian Parliament should make law in this regard and political parties should ask their MPs to support this,” he said.

Terming Ram Mandir movement as the only movement where the RSS directly participated, Bhagwat said that the RSS restricted itself in the work of character and society building. Speaking over campaign against corruption Bhagwat urged: “All those who are fighting against corruption in the country should stay united. RSS has always supported movement against corruption and such,” he said.

Repeatedly removing anti-Muslim tag attached to the RSS Bhagwat said the notion was created by some so called secular parties who are on the job of demonizing RSS. “Muslims of Nagpur has no such confusion about RSS because they watch us every day. Come and join RSS. Stay with us. Your notion will be changed. Muslims are seduced into conspiracy of Muslim separatism which they should understand,” he said.

During hour long interaction Bhagwat replied to around 15 questions which were previously selected by the organizers. On being asked whether RSS runs and controls the affair of the BJP; Bhagwat said that RSS has never been HR manager of the BJP. “It is true that top slots of the BJP are occupied by people of RSS background. But we have nothing to do with internal matter of the BJP. Politics is not our mien because it divides the society,” he said.

Those who sought his attention towards RSS as an organization that that refuses changes its ideology and dress sense according to time and an organization whose base is fast eroding; Bhagwat made an elaborate reply.

“When I was in-charge of Bihar affair on average six to seven lakh Swayamsevak used to attend regular shakhas of the RSS. Now this number has swelled around 12 lakh. We are not shrinking. We have our presence in around 60,000 villages across the country,” he said.

He also disputed that numbers of pracharak have gone down in the organization. “Pracharak is a very tough job. Right now we have 2300 fulltime pracharaks. Changes are slow. But over the years we have made changes in the dress code except half pant and nikkar which are adopted for all practical purpose. RSS takes decision on consensus basis,” he said.

Sources said that some of the questions with explicit political overture were left out of discussion during screening those related with ongoing political tussle in the BJP for Prime Ministerial post. Even if Bhagwat answered any political prodding it was ideologically high sounded.