RSS member takes on Narendra Modi, Sangh says they're his personal views

New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member MG Vaidya has sparked a fresh controversy by writing in his blog that the needle of suspicion in the campaign against Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari points to Gujarat and the state's Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Vaidya said that BJP leader Ram Jethmalani in one breath said he is seeking the resignation of Gadkari and that he also wanted to see Modi as the Prime Minister in 2014.

He said this seemed to suggest that the campaign against Gadkari could have come from Gujarat. Vaidya said while both LK Advani and Gadkari have publicly stated they don't have Prime ministerial ambitions, he hasn't heard Modi denying report of his ambitions to become PM.

The RSS, however, has distanced itself from Vaidya's comments. Vaidya has also said that the views expressed in his blog are his personal views. "This is my personal view. I am nobody in RSS. Mr Jethmalani has put together two things demanding resignation of Gadkari and asking party to make Modi the PM candidate. It has created a needle of suspicion. I stand by what I said, I've not said it is a conspiracy by Modi," Vaidya said.

"If Jethmalani has his personal opinion, I also have my personal opinion," Vaidya added. " Meanwhile, Manmohan Vaidya, the Prachar Pramukh of the RSS has also said that the Sangh has nothing to do with MG Vaidya's blog post. He told CNN-IBN, "Views expressed in the blog by MG Vaidya are personal. This is not the official RSS line."

Reacting to Vaidya's blog, CP Thakur of the BJP said a blog may not always be right. Earlier, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani and his son Mahesh had said Gadkari should immediately step down from his post as the charges against him were damaging the party. He claimed to have the support of other party leaders like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha. Ram Jethmalani has also backed Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the NDA.