Cong attack on RSS will help us get the votes: BJP

Even as the Congress has asked for an investigation into the terror links of the RSS — with Digvijaya Singh leading the charge — during its two-day plenary, the response of the BJP and even RSS has been mild.

Even as the Congress has asked for an investigation into the terror links of the RSS — with Digvijaya Singh leading the charge — during its two-day plenary, the response of the BJP and even RSS has been mild.

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A senior BJP leader conceded that there was a strategic aspect to this: “Digvijaya Singh thinks the minority vote has gone post-Ayodhya judgment and Bihar polls. So, he wants to polarise… It suits us if Hindus feel he abuses them and the Congress wants to take the same line. They are just increasing our vote.”

The RSS came out with a formal release by sarkaryavaha (general secretary) Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi: “The RSS has already made it clear that it neither believes in nor supports violent or terrorist attacks. If there has been any such incident anywhere, it should be impartially probed and the perpetrators be brought to book.”

It also said the use of terms ‘majority and minority terrorism’ was “improper, adding that it raises questions about the sincerity of the efforts to counter terrorism.

At the release of a book by Subramanium Swami on ‘Hindutva and National Renaissance’ here, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat steered clear of commenting on the attacks by the Congress. “There are people who call Hindus communal and even terrorists, and talk about minority and majority terrorism. We won’t comment on that here… There is a separate statement.”

Though the BJP is keen to watch if any polarisation results from the Congress’s hardened stance, it would not want to react strongly and risk alienating key ally JD(U), with which it is on the verge of holding a major campaign against “UPA corruption” under the NDA banner.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari too avoided reacting on the RSS terror charges, instead staying focused on corruption, the Parliament hold-up and JPC demand.