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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

‘Bharat Ratna to Savarkar will increase its prestige’

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday threw his full weight behind the long-standing demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that the Hindutva ideologue’s inclusion would enhance the dignity of the country’s highest civilian honour. Bhagwat, who explained the genesis and growth of the RSS over past 100 years in two lectures at the Nehru Centre here on Saturday and Sunday, replied to several...

‘Bharat Ratna to Savarkar will increase its prestige’

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday threw his full weight behind the long-standing demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that the Hindutva ideologue’s inclusion would enhance the dignity of the country’s highest civilian honour. Bhagwat, who explained the genesis and growth of the RSS over past 100 years in two lectures at the Nehru Centre here on Saturday and Sunday, replied to several questions. While replying to one of the questions, he remarked, “If Swatantraveer Savarkar is given the Bharat Ratna, the prestige of the Bharat Ratna itself will increase.” He was asked, why there has been a delay in conferring the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar, in reply to which, Bhagwat said, “I am not part of that committee. But if I meet someone, I will ask. Even without that honour, he rules the hearts of millions of people.” he added. Social Divisions Bhagwat replied to questions that were clubbed in 14 different groups ranging from national security to environment, social harmony, youth, arts and sports. Whenever the questions suggested or expressed expectations that the RSS should do certain things, Bhagwat stressed on the involvement of the society and initiative from the society in resolving the problems. While addressing the critical issue of Uniform Civil Code, Bhagwat stated that the UCC should be framed by taking everyone into confidence and must not lead to social divisions. In the same way while replying to the question related to illegal migrants in the country, Bhagwat urged people to “detect and report” the “illegal infiltrators” to the police. He also urged people not to give them any employment and to be more “vigilant.” Backing SIR He highlighted that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has already revealed the “foreigners” living in the country. “The government has a lot to do regarding infiltration. They have to detect and deport. This wasn’t happening until now, but it has started little by little, and it will gradually increase. When the census or the SIR is conducted, many people come to light who are not citizens of this country; they are automatically excluded from the process,” he said. “But we can do one thing: we can work on detection. Their language gives them away. We should detect them and report them to the appropriate authorities. We should inform the police that we suspect these people are foreigners, and they should investigate and keep an eye on them, and we will also keep an eye on them. We will not give employment to any foreigner. If someone is from our country, we will give them employment, but not to foreigners. You should be a little more vigilant and aware,” he added. SC Chief Emphasising the inclusivity of the Sangh, he said that anyone can become ‘Sarsanghchalak’ (RSS chief), including the SC and STs, as the decision is solely dependent on the work that any individual put for the organisation. “Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra or Brahmin does not qualify for the Sarsanghchalak position (RSS Chief), a Hindu will become the one who works and is best available. A Hindu will become, and that can also be an SC or ST. Anyone can become it depends on the work. Today, if you see, all classes have representation in the Sangh. The decision is taken on the basis of one who works and is best available,” he said. He pointed out that when the RSS was founded, its work began in a Brahmin-dominated community and hence, most of its founders were Brahmins, which led to the organisation being labelled as a Brahmin outfit at the time. People always look for an organisation that has representatives from their community, he said. “If I were to choose a chief, I would go by the ‘best available candidate’ criterion. When I was appointed RSS chief, there were many best candidates, but they were not available. I was the one who could be relieved from duties and appointed,” he said. He said that to belong to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities is not a disqualification, and neither is being a Brahmin a qualification to become the RSS chief. Ready to step down if Sangh asks for Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Sangh had asked him to continue working despite his age, while stressing that he would step down from the post whenever the organisation directs him to do so. “There is no election to the post of RSS chief. Regional and divisional heads appoint the chief. Generally, it is said that after turning 75, one should work without holding any post,” Bhagwat said. “I have completed 75 years and informed the RSS, but the organisation asked me to continue working. Whenever the RSS asks me to step down, I will do so, but retirement from work will never happen,” he said.

Satyajeet Tambe on way to BJP

Mumbai: Though, in a public interview he has denied any chances of joining the BJP and said that he is happy as an independent MLC, sources have said that former state youth Congress chief Satyajeet Tambe is likely to join the BJP sometime soon.


Tambe faced expulsion from the Congress two years back when he rebelled against the party to file his nomination from the Nashik graduates’ constituency of the state legislative council. It was said that he would join the BJP someday when he won the election. The speculation got air after he showered praises on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his efficiency and leadership all the while criticizing the Congress leadership in Delhi as well as the state for the sorry state of affairs in the party.


Tambe, while replying to queries during a public interview organized by Sakal Media Group, complimented CM Fadnavis for his style of working and said he reminds former union minister and senior Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh.


“What any party worker wants from a leader that he should be a large hearted one and that he should be accessible. Fadnavis has both these qualities. If you go to him with any work he would do that immediately without even thinking of profit and loss. He is popular among all parties as a leader who gets you work done even on an SMS,” Tambe said adding that these qualities in him remind me of Vilasrao Deshmukh, who also used to be always ready with a helping hand.


Praising Fadnavis

While praising Fadnavis for his accessibility on one hand, Tambe criticized Rahul Gandhi for his inaccessibility. Stating that though the party is in trouble, the leaders are not accessible even to the state leadership. He challenged the state leadership of the Congress party to get an appointment with Rahul Gandhi and meet him at a short notice of one hour. Tambe narrate his own experience to blame the coterie of leaders around Gandhi for the current sorry state of affairs within the party.


“I tried meeting him while he was on the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab, but I couldn’t get any response. Later when the contact was established, I was summoned to Delhi. But, I was not allowed to meet him. After this happened a couple of times, I stopped the efforts. My father, who is a hard core Congress worker too wrote three letters. He too didn’t get any response,” Tambe said and added, “This shows that lack of accessibility is the biggest drawback of the Congress.”


Tambe also said that the Congress party doesn’t seem to have any future left in Indian politics. “They lack a clear political policy. It appears as if nobody in the party is seriously thinking about it and hence at times their stand appears to be anti-India stand,” he said.


On this backdrop, when he was asked whether he would be joining the BJP, he said, "I'm not very keen on that. There are leaders like Fadnavis, there are others who guide me in things like these. Whenever they would tell me, I shall do that. But as of now I'm an independent and I'm happy as an independent."

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