His party vice-president may be fighting a legal battle with the RSS over Mahatma Gandhi’s killing, but that has not deterred senior Congress leader CK Jaffer Sharief from publicly backing Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat for Presidentship.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sharief has supported Bhagwat as President of India, saying there is no doubt about his “patriotism and commitment to the Constitution.”
Vouching for Bhagwat’s patriotism, the former Congressman pointed out that it was the RSS that had supported Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during Bangladesh war.
“I personally feel that nobody should find fault with Shri Mohan Bhagwat’s name being considered as a choice for the Presidentship of our country,” the former Railway minister said in his communication to Modi on March 29.
He also said that one should not make an issue by opposing Bhagwat’s name for the President's post because he is a “patriot, wedded to democracy” and working for the welfare of the people.
Before the Congress leader, the Shiv Sena had come up with the suggestion that Bhagwat be made the next President which was opposed by the Congress. The Opposition party said it was against the suggestion of making RSS Chief as President as the party “opposed the saffron ideology” and said it would come out with its own candidate after holding internal discussions.
To a question that his stance on Bhagwat may be at variance from that of the Congress, Sharief said from Bengaluru that his support for the RSS chief was a matter of “principle”. “Whoever becomes the President will have to function according to the Constitution. What is wrong if Bhagwat becomes the President and works according to the Constitution,” he asked.
The RSS chief, however, has himself dismissed the suggestion for his candidature for Presidentship. Sharief’s letter to Prime Minister on Bhagwat’s candidature has come against the backdrop of increasing speculations on who would be the next President of India after the incumbent Pranab Mukherjee retires in July, this year.
“Why anyone should now become small and narrow minded to say that we have no faith and confidence in an Indian, who is a patriot and who is wedded to democracy and also working for the welfare of the people,” he said.
“I therefore, strongly feel that no one should make an issue unnecessarily by opposing the very consideration of Shri Bhagwat's name itself,” he said.
Sharief expressed hope that the political parties would also be "broad minded and large hearted" and do their best in living up to the expectations of the secular people of the country. He said minorities should not have any fear or crisis of confidence over Bhagwat's name being considered for the coveted post.
“As a Muslim and a person belonging to minority community of India, I feel that the minorities should not have any fear or crisis of confidence in Shri Mohan Bhagwat's name being considered," the Congress leader said.
"Bhagwat may belong to one school of thought but there should not be any doubt about his patriotism, love for the people of India, loyalty to the nation and commitment to the Constitution of India and to democracy," Sharief said.
last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had reportedly said that she would be happy if BJP leaders lK Advani or Sushma Swaraj becomes the President of India.
However, she did not say whom she would back in the presidential race. Banerjee was speaking in a programme in private news channel.
Sharief's strong espousal of RSS head's candidature for President's post is interesting as his party's Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is facing a defamation case for allegedly leveling charges against the RSS on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.