RSS taunts BJP to abandon Hindutva ideology, "Never," says Rajnath

Senior RSS ideologue MG alias Baburao Vaidya in a scathing attack on the performance of BJP, which was routed in the Lok Sabha elections, said the political party has failed to attract convey the message of Hindutva to the commoners who see it as a communal ideology and not as Gandhian socialism.

In his weekly column in local Marathi daily Tarun Bharat, Vaidya said that after the 2004 drubbing, during the recent election campaign, BJP again revived the Hindutva ideology "in its election manifesto but it miserably failed to attract the common voters and citizens in the country."

According to Vaidya, BJP had miserably failed to convey the real meaning of "Hindutva" to the people, which is Gandhian socialism, as party leaders had little patience to under the basic principles of the ideology.

"The BJP hasn't been able to impress on peoples' mind the comprehensive purport of Hindutva despite its rule at the Center and in many states perhaps because they found it narrow-minded or did not find it useful in ascending the throne of power," Vaidya said.

"Probably, they thought they were not deemed to climb the pedestal of power with 'Hindutva' line. Hence, BJP should now disassociate itself with 'Hindutva,'" he said.

If BJP alienates itself from this ideology and get a modern outlook, it would bring it ample opportunities, he added.

"If BJP gives up 'Hindutva,' regional parties like Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Telugu Desam Party will rush to it and internal bickering in the JD(U) will also finish," the RSS ideologue taunted, adding that if BJP disassociates itself with Hindutva, "its umbilical cord with the RSS will automatically fall."

However, it would not affect RSS "come what may, (as) the Sangh isn't going to quit Hindutva," he said.

"There is a big following of Hindutva and it should be adopted from the bottom of heart with sincerity," he added.

Vaidya also slammed BJP leader Varun Gandhi's anti-minority rhetoric during the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh. "What he (Gandhi) said are against the basic tenets of Hindutva. Chopping off hands or any such thing is not acceptable to us. This is not Hindutva," he said.

"If he ever came to me, I would first ask him if he actually said so. The ideology of Hindutva is often misrepresented and misunderstood...Hindutva is about plurality of thought, and plurality of faith," he added.

Ironically, earlier, RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi had defended Gandhi's remarks, and the Sangh journal too had written editorials backing him. But now, it seems that RSS prefers to distance itself from Gandhi's remarks as it had cost them many seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Vaidya's diatribe comes barely a week after some senior BJP leaders questioned the relevance of Hindutva in the political party and criticized that the party's virulent anti-minority rhetoric and hardline Hindutva stance during poll campaign not only gave away its communal game but also succeeded in distancing the minority communities and annoying the Hindu voters who embody secular India.

A week back, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh, who has been elected from Darjeeling, said there was no clarity in the party on what Hindutva means and added that self-interest of those who make up for the so-called central leadership tops the party's agenda.

According to Singh, the party lacked clarity and failed to connect to the electorate and to succeed in the future, the party must reinvent itself as people are losing faith in the organization. "There is a need for ideological distillation of thought. BJP has to be a current party. It can't be a party of yesterday. I think there's lack of clarity on what Hindutva means. Perhaps we didn't succeed effectively in conveying what we were trying to do. Failure in conveying (our) message...ended up with diminished electoral support," Singh said.

BJP's prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, despite inserting Hindutva ideology in the party's election manifesto, had also toned it down during election campaigns.

Advani's key aide and political adviser Sudheendra Kulkarni had also criticized the Sangh Parivar (Hindu organizations) for making a "strong leader like Advani, whose contribution to the growth of the party is enormous, look weak, helpless and not fully in command" during the election campaign.

Kulkarni also questioned the relevance and the existence of BJP's parent body, RSS, saying, "The leaders must ask themselves and answer the question honestly and earnestly - why is the acceptability of the RSS and VHP (the Hindu right-wing outfit) limited to Hindu society itself?"

Meanwhile, BJP president Rajnath Singh, in response to Vaidya's remarks, said irrespective of what may happen in the future, he will continue to be wedded to the Hindutva ideology forever. "I want to put this bluntly that I still abide by Hindutva which I have followed ever since I commenced my political career. And I will remain wedded to it for all times to come," he said.

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi also said BJP cannot give up its ideology or sever ties with the Sangh Parivar in the wake of electoral defeat.

"We can neither give up our ideology nor sever ties with the Sangh Parivar," Joshi, the favorite poster boy of RSS, said.