New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to solve its crisis on its own--the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) made this clear on Friday.
The BJP has to "think and decide" its own future, said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at a press conference in New Delhi. “Whatever more has to be done will be done by the party,” he said.
“If they (BJP) ask for our advice, we always say yes to them as they are better equipped to take political decisions.”
Bhagwat said the RSS didn’t involve itself in the BJP’s daily functioning and it was “immaterial” if it was worried for the party or not. "We are not worried (about the BJP’s functioning) and it is immaterial whether the Sangh is happy or not happy about it; the BJP has to think and decide its future."
He rejected senior BJP leader Arun Shourie’s suggestion that the RSS take charge of the beleaguered party and pull it out of crisis. "The Sangh has its own tasks that will be done by the Sangh. If the party wants help and advice, we will give it," said Bhagwat.
"We don't give any advice to the BJP without being asked for it."
"Arun Shourie is a very respected and senior journalist. I do not want to comment what he said about others," he added.
Bhagwat dropped a hint when said, "50 to 60 years is the average age for the Sangh leadership and it's for the political party to decide what should be the right age for it."
"If you talk about seniority then BJP is much senior to RSS. Compare average age of the leaders. RSS does not mind giving BJP suggestions, but it's up to BJP to implement and decide on party matters.
He seems to be referring to L K Advani, the the 82-year-old BJP leader, who was projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha. Bhagwat had said in a recent interview to a TV news channel that there was need for a younger leadership to take charge of the BJP.
Bhagwat was speaking out for the first time since the expulsion of former union minister Jaswant Singh from the BJP for his book on founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
"Jinnah was directly responsible for Partition. He advocated the theory that Hindus and Muslims can not stay together. These are all historical facts that RSS believes in," the RSS chief said about Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
BJP President Rajnath Singh had called on Bhagwat on Thursday night for a one-and-a-half hour meeting.
Bhagwat had on August 18 called for an end to factionalism in the BJP, the political wing of the Sangh Parivar.
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