RSS chief in Bihar for 10 days, Oppn parties cry foul

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived in Patna on a 10-day visit, his longest in Bihar so far, raising political heat.

Though the RSS has declared Bhagwat’s third visit to the state since October last year, as “routine” and “non-political”, Congress and RJD have termed the “abnormally” long stay of RSS chief in Bihar as an attempt to make it another Nagpur, headquarters of the saffron outfit.

Soon after his arrival, Bhagwat straightway went to the RSS office in Rajendra Nagar locality. On Tuesday, he will leave for Muzaffarpur in north Bihar and is scheduled to camp there for at least five days. On February 11, he will return to Patna to address RSS workers at Shakha Maidan, adjoining its office in the state capital. RSS prant prachar pramukh (state chief) Rajesh Pandey said Bhagwat’s visit was focussed on interacting with farmers to get a firsthand feel of rural development initiatives, which is at the core of any sustainable development model for India.

“He will camp at Muzaffarpur and interact with farmers and activists from Bihar and Jharkhand, especially those resorting to innovative means through organic farming, use of new techniques and cow protection,” he added. A senior RSS functionary said the organisation witnessed significant increase in enrolment in Bihar in the past three years, as people had begun to understand it better. Few days back, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Manmohan Vaidya was also on a Bihar visit, which is being viewed as a precursor to Bhagwat’s visit.

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