by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
All is not well in Sangh Parivar
All is not well in Sangh Parivar
Special Report
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, May 17 :
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is understood to have expressed his desire to quit the government and serve the party organization. Rajnath Singh who is number two in the Modi government, has reportedly conveyed to the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to permit him to be relieved from government duties and be sent back to the party.
He reminded the RSS chief that it was on his directions in May 2014 that he had quit as BJP chief and joined the government. However, he finds himself somewhat at odds to continue further in the government. It is not known what exactly transpired between Rajnath Singh and Mohan Bhagwat when they met on Thursday last.
But authoritative sources close to Rajnath Singh say that he has couple of grievances. Rajnath was deeply hurt last year when allegations against his son Pankaj Singh surfaced in the media and the government opted to remain silent What pained him most was drastic cut in the Budget of his ministry dealing with police modernisation and sending L C Goyal as home secretary without even consulting him. Rajnath was only informed about it. L C Goyal is considered close to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as both belong to Kerala cadre of all India services. Even the Intelligence Bureau though technically under the Union Home Ministry, doesn't listen to MHA. Rajnath Singh may be a member of the Cabinet Committee of Appointments (ACC), he is hardly consulted on key appointments.
Rajnath Singh is understood to have also reminded Mohan Bhagwat that he didn't want to go to the government in the fist place. But it was on the directions of the RSS that he moved over to the government. Now he be allowed to go back to the party, Rajnath Singh reportedly pleaded.
The exercise has begun within the party apparatus as complaints have grown against Amit Shah's style of functioning and defeat in Delhi Assembly polls brought his graph down too. The RSS leadership comprising Bhaiyyaji Joshi, Dattatreya Honsbole and Krishan Gopal had held detailed consultations on March 23 at the residence of Nitin Gadkari in Delhi where party matters were discussed. It was felt that someone else may be needed who can carry the party workers. Some of the frontal organizations of the RSS like the Swadesh Jagran Manch, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Kisan Sangh have been publicly criticizing the Modi government on Land Bill and other crucial issues.
Surface Transport & Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has been also extremely unhappy and doesn't mince words in criticizing the government and the party. Gadkari was in the news last year when reports of spy bug being found at his residence surfaced in the media. He had also been unhappy the way finance ministry allowed the CAG report to be tabled in Parliament relating to the Purti group.
