Don’t stoop low: RSS to Togadia

Speaking to The Indian Express, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said it was everyone’s responsibility to ensure decorum in public life. ‘‘We also disapprove of Sonia Gandhi calling Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee a liar’’, he added.

Madhav said he understood the concern of Congress over Togadia’s remark of Togadia but added, ‘‘Violent attacks on VHP offices by Congress activists are uncalled for. We wish to know how the Congress leadership justifies pelting of VHP offices with stones by Youth Congress one day, the Mahila Congress the next.’’

The BJP took a similar line yesterday, Naidu disapproving of Togadia’s language while asking the Congress to maintain the same standards in public life which it sought from others. In this connection, he had pointed out that the Congress, during its protest demonstrations throughout Chhattisgarh on the paddy support price issue, had garlanded the effigies of the PM with chappals.

A more personal initiative — as he called it — came from former Union minister Jakhar today. ‘‘The notices would be issued tomorrow by my lawyer. This is totally my personal initiative because I feel that such defamatory comments are not just an insult to politics of this country but also to our nation and our thought,’’ Jakhar said.

On a more official note, the Congress sought the help of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure that unparliamentary language was not used by political parties and democratic values not attacked.

Saying there had been a deterioration in the language being used by certain political parties, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma felt that it was time persons making indecent remarks against political personalities were isolated.