Relations between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its predecessor, the Rajya Sabha Salman Sinha (RSS), have not been the best ever since the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were announced. RSS national executive member Indresh Kumar on Thursday accused the saffron party of “arrogance” and the opposition of being “anti-Rama”.
Kumar did not name his rivals but suggested the polls reflected their attitude. “A party that practised faith (in Lord Rama) but became arrogant was stopped by 241 votes but emerged as the largest party,” he said at the Ramrath Ayodhya Yatra Darshan Pujan Samarro at Kanota near Jaipur.
Not only did Indresh Kumar implicitly criticise the BJP, the opposition Indian Union was not spared the attack either.
“Look at the ‘vidhan’ of Rama Rajya in democracy. Those who worshipped Rama gradually became arrogant and his party emerged as the largest party, but due to their arrogance, God blocked them from getting the voting rights and power that should have been given to them,” he said.He added that Lord Rama protected the people and did good deeds to Ravana as well.
The Narendra Modi-led BJP won 240 seats on its own in the Indian Lok Sabha elections and 293 seats with the support of allies such as the Janata Dal (United), the Telugu Desam Party and the Shiv Sena. The Indian Union, led by the Indian National Congress party, won 234 seats in the general elections.
RSS article on why BJP did not get the expected Lok Sabha election results
The remarks came days after the latest issue of the RSS magazine, “The Organiser”, was released. Ratan Sharda, a life member of the Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation, said the RSS had played its role but BJP members were complacent.
Sharda said the election results came as a reality check for “many overconfident BJP workers and their leaders.” He also said the BJP did not seek support from RSS leaders in the elections. Sharda also said in his article that the biggest problem faced by BJP and RSS activists and ordinary citizens is the lack of access to local and state legislators.
“A long-standing major grievance of BJP and RSS activists and ordinary citizens alike is the difficulty or impossibility of meeting their local MPs, state legislators, let alone ministers. Their insensitivity to issues is another dimension. Why are BJP elected MPs and ministers always ‘busy’? Why are they not visible in their constituencies? Why is it so difficult to reply to messages?” Sharda wrote in the article.
Has the alliance with Ajit Pawar harmed Maharashtra?
Moreover, Sharda said joining hands with Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was an “unnecessary political move”, especially when the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s splinter Shiv Sena have comfortable majorities, adding that the move was also a big blow to BJP supporters, who have been fighting the ideology for years and have been persecuted.
RSS chief doesn’t go easy on
He not only mercilessly criticised Indresh Kumar and Ratan Sharda but also RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who in a recent speech spoke about a “noisy” election campaign. In an indirect attack on the BJP, he said a true “sevak” is not arrogant but serves the people with dignity.
He further suggested that neither side maintained decorum during the election campaign, adding that even the RSS had found itself caught in the crossfire. “It is not right the way people are abusing each other, misusing technology and spreading fake news during election campaigns,” the RSS head said.
(Provided by agency)
