The Shiv Sena has set the cat among the pigeons by charging that the purpose behind the RSS inviting former President Pranab Mukherjee to its headquarters might be that in the event of 2019 lok Sabha polls throwing up a hung House, it might initiate a move to form a “national Government’ with “citizen” Pranab at the helm of the new dispensation.
In an editorial published in its official mouth-piece Saamana, the Shiv Sena said, “There must be definitely some agenda behind the RSS inviting Pranab to its headquarters (to address the graduated pracharaks). Whatever may be agenda, we will get to know about it in 2019”.
“Available pointers suggest that the BJP will not get majority in the 2019 lok Sabha polls. In the event of a hung House and the likelihood of other political parties not supporting Modi’s candidature for the Prime Minister’s post, the grapevine in Delhi has it that the RSS might try to float a national Government with Pranab at its helm,” the Saamana editorial stated.
Elaborating on the editorial in Saamana, the Sena’s spokesperson and the newspaper’s executive editor Sanjay Raut said, “We feel the RSS is preparing itself for a situation where it might put forth Pranab ji as the Prime Minister’s candidate if the BJP fails to get required numbers in the lower house of Parliament, in any case the BJP will lose a minimum of 110 seats this time.”
Swift came the response from Pranab’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee who tweeted, “Raut, after retiring as President of India, my father is NOT going to enter into active politics again.”
Sharmistha had earlier questioned her father Pranab’s decision to go to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur by saying that his speech would be forgotten, visuals will remain and those would be circulated with fake statements.
Sharmistha also responded to a tweet from a RSS sympathiser Rahul Easwar who said, “Expecting a Tweet of applause from respected, dear @Sharmistha_GK ji; Not as a daughter, but as a Citizen.
Sri #PranabMukherjeewas superb :-).”
In her tweet, Sharmistha said, “Thanks @RahulEaswar ji from a daughter. But as a daughter as well as a citizen, I reserve the right to differ & express that difference without fear. Was brought up like that by my parents. I am what I am- good or bad- thanks to them”.
Earlier, alluding to the “changing approach” of the Sangh Parivar towards Muslims, the Sena mouth-piece stated that the RSS, which in the past would criticise the Congress of trying to “appease” had begun to hold Iftar parties using the Government machinery and State-run guest houses.
“Roza-Iftar parties are in full swing across the country. There was a time when the Sangh Parivar people would criticise the Congress for holding such parties for Muslims. They would then say that Iftar parties did not fit into the scheme of Hindutva. But, the Sangh itself is holding currently Roza-Iftar parties so much so that they are using the Government machinery and State-run guest houses,” the editorial stated.
Recalling a statement made by RSS third Sarsanghchalak late Balasaheb Devaras in response to a comment by a socialist leader, the Saamana editorial stated: “Devaras had said that the Sangh Parivar had not changed, but the outlook of the people towards the RSS had changed. But, we have now begun to realise that the RSS has indeed changed. Otherwise how can one explain this: When the Congress held Iftar parties for Muslims, it would call the then ruling party as being religiously blind. Now when the RSS holds such parties for Muslims, then we need to justify it saying that the act is tolerance towards other religions”.
Quoting Mukhejee’s statement made in his speech at the RSS headquarters that “India’s nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy... they (Indians) live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bharatiya,” the Sena mouth-piece stated: “When Pranab Mukherjee made this statement, the people from the Sangh Parivar present at that function clapped. The Congresswallahs being idiots tried to stop Mukherjee from going to Nagpur. Ok. let’s hail Hindutva”.