RSS rushes to Modi’s defence

Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Manali remarks on the Gujarat riots have predictably rubbed the Sangh patriarch the wrong way. In what clearly looks like a virtual endorsement of ‘Vajpayee allergy’ in the RSS and a harbinger of a possible anti-Vajpayee campaign within the Sangh Parivar, Sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudershan said, ‘‘Some people, who call themselves modern, liberal and broad-minded have been endeavouring to keep the Gujarat riots alive.’’

‘‘Our former PM says Gujarat riots were a reason for the BJP’s defeat. How is it then that the BJP didn’t lose in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh,’’ Sudershan asked, addressing a gathering of RSS volunteers at the concluding ceremony of their all-India camp in Nagpur on Sunday.

‘‘The so-called liberal people, including English newspapers and electronic media, kept on discussing the reaction and totally sidelines the reason for riots, that is the Godhra incident,’’ Sudershan added.

The RSS chief virtually defended the Modi government, saying that only 60-70 towns and villages out of the total 18,000 were affected by riots. ‘‘As soon as the Army was called in, the riots were controlled within three days. Muharram and school examinations went off peacefully,’’ he said and claimed that the rioters included people even from the Congress.