NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has challenged the United Front (UF) to contradict the statement of Prime Minister designate H.D. Deve Gowda praising the role of the Rashwiya Swam Sewak Sangh (RSS). Releasing the brief text of Mr. Gowda’s earlier statement made in a seminar, BJP general secretary M. Venkaiah Naidu said last week, that he would like to know the reaction of the UF leaders about their leader’s Observation on the RSS. It may be mentioned here that Mr. Gowda’s reported remarks, when quoted by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the Lok Sabha, had caused a furor.

Mr, Deve Gowda is purported to have said “regarding the role of the RSS, I have no disagreement with Mr. Arun Shourie who spoke earlier; in my political life spanning 30 years, rather 34 years to be precise, In fact, 40 years of public life, I have never adversely spoken about the RSS. But at the same time, I have my own reservations about political parties, RSS is an organization, it has no black spot, but all our political parties today arc tainted. Lam saying this with full sense of responsibility.”

According to Mr. Naidu, Mr, Gowda made these observations on June 26, 1995, in a seminar in Bangalore on 20th year of imposition of emergency. Mr. Gowda was presiding over the function which was also attended by BJP president L.K. Advani, Mr. Arun Shourie, and former Karnataka Chief Minister R.K. alleged. Mr. Venkaiah Naidu clarified that by releasing the statement, he did not intend to humiliate Mr, Gowda. On the other hand, he appreciated Mr. Gowda’s remarks and described his utterances as “the honest comment on the organization which is wedded te the nation building.” BJP strategists’ decision to release Mr. Gowda’s statement is calculated to create confusion among leaders of the UF at a time when there is tremendous pressure on Mr. Gowda to decide about his cabinet Mr, Naidu said the BJP was planning an extensive tour program of Mr, Vajpayee to various parts of | the counties to attend citizen’s felicitation programs. Mr, Vajpayee’s would be going to Mumbai (June 3), Madras (June 8), Kamataka (June 9), Delhi June 11), Chandigarh (June 12), Calcutta Gung 14) and Patna (June 16).

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 5, 1996