PM to RSS: Will consult you, rein in loudmouths

Besieged by the almost daily sniping from fellow Sangh Parivar members, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, at a meeting with RSS Sarsanghc...

Besieged by the almost daily sniping from fellow Sangh Parivar members, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, at a meeting with RSS Sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan here this evening, sought to buy peace by offering to take them into confidence on policy issues ‘‘dear to them.’’

In return, he asked the RSS chief to rein in Parivar leaders and make them stop their attacks on him and his policies.

However, taking the RSS along on even a limited number of issues is a tall order for the Prime Minister. On the other hand, the RSS can’t be expected to be content with being over-ruled on its ideology and agenda. The broad understanding will be tested by the way the two sides go about conducting their business.

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In any case, the RSS had registered two gains. One, it’s managed to force Vajpayee to sit up and listen to it. Two, the meeting provided it with a great deal of legitimacy in determining the policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The feeble attempts of BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu and RSS joint general secretary (BJP affairs) Madan Dass Devi to downplay this by describing the meeting as ‘‘routine’’ has to be viewed in this backdrop.

The meeting at the PM’s residence came amid uncertainty sparked off by his ill-health. Beginning at 6 pm, it lasted over two hours. Vajpayee was assisted by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and party president M Venkaiah Naidu. The RSS chief was accompanied by H V Seshadri and joint general secretary (BJP affairs) Madan Dass Devi. After the meeting, Naidu said: ‘‘We discussed general matters of mutual interest and national interest.’’

He said ‘‘no specifics’’ were taken up, instead, ‘‘larger issues concerning the nation’s interests’’ were discussed. The statement was apparently contradictory, for specific issues were bound to come up when broad national matters were examined.

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He took pains to emphasise that it was ‘‘an informal meeting.’’ ‘‘We keep meeting,’’ he underlined, adding that they would continue to meet ‘‘as and when necessary.’’

Devi said the government had completed three years in office. The dialogue was intended to exchange views on national issues. ‘‘The talks were held in a very good atmosphere,’’ he added.