RSS justifies chief's statement on prime ministerial candidate - in.news.yahoo.com
New Delhi/Nagpur, June 20 (IANS) Justifying the RSS chief's statement that the country should have a prime minister who propounded Hindutva, the organisation's spokesman Wednesday said the views should not be linked to "day-to-day political happenings".
"We always held that Hindutva, the ideological anchor of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) is a liberal, all-embracing and secular idea," Ram Madhav told reporters here.
"To portray it as anti-secular or narrow-minded is not correct. Hindutva in reality is a true synonym for secularism," the RSS spokesman maintained.
"This is our ideological position which we have been articulating from time immemorial and the chief of RSS (Mohan Bhagwat) has only reiterated that position," Madhav said.
"It is totally, utterly uncalled for to link the views expressed before the swayamsevaks to day-to-day political happenings in the country, to individuals or leaders. This is uncalled for and not appropriate," he said.
Earlier in the day, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had told reporters: "To keep alive the Hindutva ideology, the Hindu 'samaaj' (society) should come together. And the country should have a prime minister who believes in that ideology or propounds that view."
Bhagwat's comments come a day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition National Democratic Alliance should announce a secular prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Bhagwat had hit out at Kumar too, saying he was scared to call himself a Hindu and questioned his right to decide what sort of person would make a good prime minister.
RSS justifies chief’s statement on prime ministerial candidate (Lead) - Thaindian.com
“We always held that Hindutva, the ideological anchor of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) is a liberal, all-embracing and secular idea,” Ram Madhav told reporters here.
“To portray it as anti-secular or narrow-minded is not correct. Hindutva in reality is a true synonym for secularism,” the RSS spokesman maintained.
“This is our ideological position which we have been articulating from time immemorial and the chief of RSS (Mohan Bhagwat) has only reiterated that position,” Madhav said.
“It is totally, utterly uncalled for to link the views expressed before the swayamsevaks to day-to-day political happenings in the country, to individuals or leaders. This is uncalled for and not appropriate,” he said.
Earlier in the day, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had told reporters: “To keep alive the Hindutva ideology, the Hindu ’samaaj’ (society) should come together. And the country should have a prime minister who believes in that ideology or propounds that view.”
Bhagwat’s comments come a day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition National Democratic Alliance should announce a secular prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Bhagwat had hit out at Kumar too, saying he was scared to call himself a Hindu and questioned his right to decide what sort of person would make a good prime minister.
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Speaking at a function of Swayamsevaks in Latur Mr Bhagwat asked “what is the problem if a political leader with Hindutva leanings becomes Prime Minister of the country.”
He also questioned Nitish rights to decide who is secular and who is not. Bhagwat wondered if in Nitish Kumar’s imagination, former prime ministers of India were not seculars.
Obviously, Nitish words on Narendra Modi has not gone down well not only with the BJP but also with RSS.
In an interview given to a business daily on Tuesday Nitish Kumar has categorically said that any body wishing to occupy highest post should have impeccable secular credentials.
A political leader whose vision is narrow and frame of mind pigmy would not fit the bill, he is reported to have said.
His other declaration that NDA must announce its Prime Ministerial candidate before the 2014 election also led to heated political exchange.
Two Ministers of BJP in Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi and Giriraj Singh are speaking at tangent. Modi was quick to obliquely endorse Nitish Kumar with the words “ a leader should have the secular credentials similar to that of Atal Behari Bajapai.
Giriraj Singh, another minister was quick to add that “ no body could be more secular than Narendra Modi.
Sushil Modi is held to be close to Nitish to the extent that he risks his relation in his own party, said political watchers in Bihar.
The fight within the BJP and the fight with allies like JDU are bound to worsen over a period of time.
The matter may come to a head when NDA meets on Wednesday to arrive at a consensus for Prez candidature which has eluded it so far.
RSS backs Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate - Daily Pioneer
"To keep alive the Hindutva ideology, the Hindu 'samaaj' (society) should come together. And the country should have a prime minister who believes in that ideology or propounds that view," Bhagwat told reporters here.
Bhagwat's comments came a day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hit out at Narendra Modi without naming him and said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, should announce a secular prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Nitish Kumar Tuesday made it clear that Modi is unacceptable as an NDA candidate for prime ministership.
"Will Nitish decide what sort of person makes a good PM?" Bhagwat questioned.
He also slammed Nitish Kumar and said that he is scared to call himself a Hindu.
The Nitish-Modi rivalry has been on a high for the past few days. Modi took a dig at politicians from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for what the Gujarat chief minister called "resort to caste-based politics".
Nitish Kumar then said that Modi, who has been a constant irritant in the JD(U)-BJP coalition ties in Bihar, should mind his own business instead of making comments on others.
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