New Delhi, Sept 23: In a new political strategy, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday demanded answers from the RSS for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions, in an apparent bid to diminish his stature by implying that the parent Hindutva organisation was the master which should keep its child in control.
“Has the son become so big now that it is showing attitude to his mother?” Kejriwal said at a rally where he demanded five answers from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The questions he asked were political softballs but the implication of bringing Bhagwat into his new political narrative is new and unusual.
Kejriwal wanted to know if the RSS agreed with the BJP’s politics of using central agencies to break up parties and topple opposition governments, and inducting “corrupt” leaders into its fold.
In his first ‘Janta ki Adalat’ public meeting at Jantar Mantar following his resignation as Delhi chief minister, Kejriwal also asked Bhagwat if the BJP’s rule on age of retirement would apply to Modi as it did for L K Advani.
He questioned Bhagwat if he agreed with the BJP’s politics of calling politicians “corrupt” and then inducting them into its fold.
In another question, the AAP supremo asked Bhagwat how he felt when BJP president J P Nadda said his party did not need the RSS, which is the saffron party’s ideological mentor.
“BJP ke Rashtriya Adhyaksh JP Nadda ne Lok Sabha chunav ke dauran kaha tha ki ab BJP ko RSS ki zaroorat nahi. RSS BJP ki maa samman hai. Kya aaj beta itna bada ho gaya hai ki woh maa ko aankhein dikhaane lag gaya hai?
“Jis bete ko paal pos kar bada kiya, jis bete ko Pradhan Mantri banaya, aaj woh beta apni maa tulya sanstha RSS ko aankhein dikha raha hai (BJP national president J P Nadda had said during the Lok Sabha elections that the BJP no longer needs the RSS. The RSS is akin to the mother to the BJP. Has the son grown so much that he has started showing attitude to his mother?
“The son who was nurtured and raised, the son who was made prime minister, today that same son is challenging the RSS, the organisation that is like a mother to him),” Kejriwal said.
“Main Mohan Bhagwat se poochna chahta hoon ki jab JP Nadda ne aisa kaha to ha apke dil par kya guzari. Kya aapko dukh nahi hua? Main RSS ke har karyakarta se poochta hoon ki jab JP Nadda ne kaha ki humein RSS ki zaroorat nahi hai, toh kya RSS ke karyakartaon ko dukh nahi hua.
“(I want to ask Mohan Bhagwat weren’t you aggrieved when J P Nadda said this.
Didn’t you feel sad? I ask every RSS worker that didn’t you feel sad when JP Nadda said that we don’t need the RSS?” the AAP supremo said.
He further questioned if the RSS chief was satisfied with the BJP’s current politics.
“The RSS and the BJP had made the rule that every leader would retire when they reached 75 years of age. Under this rule, senior leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalraj Mishra and others were retired. Now, (Home Minister) Amit Shah says this rule does not apply to Modi ji,” Kejriwal said.
“Do you agree with this fact that the rule that applied for Advani ji will not be applicable to Modi ji?” he asked Bhagwat.
While Kejriwal was addressing the gathering, the BJP held a protest Connaught Place, barely a kilometre away from Jantar Mantar, against him and the AAP on issues of corruption.
The saffron party held another protest against Kejriwal at the Rajghat on the same issue.
Jantar Mantar, on the other hand, was awash with the AAP’s signature blue and yellow colours as hundreds of supporters filled the site with banners that declared Kejriwal as “one of us”, affirming their unwavering belief in his innocence.
As Kejriwal took the stage, the site echoed with slogans of “Na rukega, na jhukega…” while some AAP supporters held up posters bearing messages such as “Hamare Kejriwal imaandar hai”.
Kejriwal — who was released on bail from the Tihar Jail on September 13 after over five months in prison in connection with the excise policy case — asserted to the crowd that he joined politics to serve the country and not for any greed for power or post.
The former chief minister also said he resigned because he was hurt by the corruption allegations against him and added that he had only earned respect, not money, during the past 10 years.
He also asked the assembled crowd if they thought he was a “thief” or those who sent him to jail were “thieves”.
Kejriwal said the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls were an “agnipariksha (trial by fire)” for him and urged people not to vote for him if they thought he was dishonest.
The AAP supremo added he would move out of the chief minister’s official residence after the “shraddh” period during Navratri and go live among the people, who had been offering him accommodation. (PTI)
