Modi: Congress forming alliance internationally for my ouster

India’s ruling party appears divided as RSS chief Bhagwat raps BJP on the knuckles even as the election year nears

Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday accused the Congress of indulging in a campaign of slander and lies against him and of trying to form an “international alliance” to oust him.

“What has happened to the 125-year-old Congress? We have decided to fight elections on the issue of development, but they want to fight the election by breaking the society. They want to capture power through mischief. They want to use a handful of people to spread falsehood and storm of lies to capture power,” he said.

“Best wishes for their new path. But we are following the path of strong organisation,” Modi said, addressing the ‘Karyakarta Mahakumbh’ in pollbound Madhya Pradesh.

Amid raging controversy over the Rafale aircraft deal, Modi also slammed the main opposition Congress, saying it has become so weak that it has to beg small parties to forge alliance in the coming elections.

The prime minister said the Congress was not succeeding in getting allies and even if they get one, “I don’t see them succeeding. So they are trying to forge an alliance internationally. Now will a foreign country decide who will be the country’s prime minister? After losing power, you have lost your balance.”

Mohan Bhagwat, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supremo quoted the Indian Constitution, saying he and his controversial Parivar (family) fully embrace the ideals of the Indian republic. He stressed: “No Hindu rashtra [nation] would be possible without Muslims.” He categorically said he was for a yukt (inclusive India), publicly showcasing his opposition to the duo of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah — the former being the Indian Prime Minister and the latter president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

This was the second snub to Amit Shah, whose war cry Congress mukt Bharat (India free of the Congress), the head of the saffron family disowned publicly. This master class of what the RSS stands for was delivered by Bhagwat in the tony Vigyan Bhavan in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi. The message to Modi and Shah was a sharp warning as Bhagwat said the RSS has never asked its cadres to support a particular political party. This message, not to mess with the RSS and not take its support for granted in general election season, must have sent a code red message to the BJP whose real strength and boots on the ground are the committed RSS cadre. The lecture series on ‘The future of Bharat: an RSS perspective’ had multiple agenda for the Sangh. The RSS has shed its traditional shyness, say Sangh insiders. The most notable message it wants to send is that it has occupied the centrestage of ideology. It also wants to send a clear message about its hold over the BJP’s politics and polices.

Those who have always opposed the Sangh, calling it “exclusivist”, have been sent a strong signal by the invitations to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and other notable opposition leaders. The RSS was upset with Modi when he chose to ignore Bhagwat’s considered recommendation of Dr Murli Manohar Joshi as president of India. Modi’s choice of Ramnath Kovind, who had never even been a pracharak (propagandist) upset Sangh seniors — they wanted to make a political point about acceptability by getting a true believer as the occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the presidential palace).

The RSS has recently had a complete makeover. It switched from wearing its famous khaki shorts to trousers. Says a top functionary of the Sangh: “Bhagwat repeatedly says those who accept India as their motherland are all our people. We are categorically against violence.”

But is the RSS true in its message? As part of the same outreach programme, Bhagwat made a trip to Chicago for a VHP function where his comments about “wild dogs attacking a lion” again made headlines for the wrong reasons.

Nurturing of majoritarian grievances

A cosmetic makeover has certainly happened, but the deep suspicion and assiduously nurtured persecution complex about the travails of Hindus and the need for unity in what the RSS describes as “Hindu Samaj” (Hindu society) will certainly not allay fears.

The RSS is the mother ship and its political arm, the BJP is now at power at the centre and 22 states. The Sangh’s careful nurturing of majoritarian grievances has paid off. So how will the clash between Modi and Shah versus the RSS pan out? Sangh functionaries say that in light of the elections, they expect conciliatory gestures from the duo. But the warning has been delivered.

This then is the clash of the future — will India be the Constitutional Republic of Ambedkar’s dream or a Hindu Pradhan desh (Hindu-majority country)? 2019 will decide if the RSS has occupied centrestage ideology replacing what they call disparagingly the “leftist Nehruvian consensus”.