Velingkar to rejoin Sangh but won’t support BJP
NEWDELHI:Former RSS chief of the Goa unit Subhash Velingkar on Monday said his decision to return to the Sangh fold should not be read as reconciliation with the BJP in the state.
As Goa awaits the election outcome on March 11, Velingkar has announced his decision to dissolve his ‘Goa Prant’, which was formed after his breakaway from the RSS. Talking to HT from Goa, Velingkar said he does not support the BJP and his decision to break away from the Sangh was to insulate his team from “any pressure from the RSS” to refrain from raising issues that could embarrass the incumbent government. Ahead of the assembly polls in the state, Velingkar had left his position at the Sangh and declared his intent to contest polls against the BJP, in protest against the BJP’s failure to implement education in the mother tongue. Under the banner of Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), his supporters contested the 40-seat assembly polls in alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Shiv Sena.
“At the time of forming the Goa Prant, we had said that after the elections we would return to the Sangh. No one can stop us from attending a Shakha, and we will not seek any positions,” he said, referring to his decision to dissolve the Goa Prant.
A former teacher, Velingkar, however, ruled out extending support to the BJP, should the need arise after the results.
He said though both the BJP and the Congress will not get a majority, the question of extending support to both the parties does not arise.
“BJP will not get even 10 seats and the Congress might get between 10 and 12, but if there is a need to extend support to them, even from outside we are not ready. We will only extend issuebased support,” Velingkar said.
He had earlier lashed out at defence minister and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar for reneging on his assurance of pulling out funding for schools where the language of instruction is English. He accused Parrikar of “cheating Hindus” in the state and “projecting himself as messiah of the minorities (Christians).” On the allegation that breaking away from the Sangh and targeting the BJP was a political move, aimed at capturing the Hindu vote, Velingkar said his ideological fight will continue.
“The Bharatiya Basha Suraksha Manch, that has been demanding mother tongue as the medium of instruction and withdrawal of grants to English medium schools, will continue to pursue its agenda,” he told HT.