RSS leaders meet to skip political discussions

PRABHAS PATAN(GIR SOMNATH): The three-day annual meeting of office-bearers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that began in the temple town of Somnath on Sunday will mainly focus on organisational matters, a Sangh functionary said. And, if need be, core socio-political issues could also be taken up, he added. Top Sangh leaders, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi, apart from 200 delegates of the Hindutva fountainhead that is also the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP at the Centre, are attending the “Prant Pracharak” meeting. The annual meet takes stock of the overall performance and policies of the organization that runs more than 58,000 sakhas across the country, and formulates its strategy for the next one year.

Bhagwat, who arrived here on Thursday, met local RSS leaders and volunteers ahead of the meeting on Sunday. The RSS chief also presided over a Sadbhavna Sammelan with local community members. The venue of the meet, Sagar Darshan, a VIP guest house overlooking the Arabian Sea adjacent to Gujarat’s famed Somnath temple, has been turned into a fortress.

Though the Sangh leadership maintained that the upcoming general elections in 2019 are not part of the agenda, the parent organization of the BJP is known as the networking and mobilizing vehicle for the political party.

At the Sadhbhavna meet, Bhayyaji Joshi gave a call to Hindus of all castes to get united -- a significant call in the run up to 2019 elections, especially for Gujarat where the influential Patidars have been up in arms against the BJP government over their OBC quota demand.

“If required, core issues will be specially discussed,” said RSS spokesperson for Gir Somnath region Kamal Raval.

Sources said the RSS wants to go ahead with its agenda to bring all the Hindu castes under one umbrella. Besides, the Kashmir situation after BJP pulled out of alliance government with PDP and the alleged murders of right-wing supporters in Kerala and West Bengal are likely to figure in deliberations, sources added.