RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in MP to drum up support for CAA

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat began his three-day interaction with pracharaks in Bhopal on Monday to drum up support on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Madhya Pradesh.

Taking a dig at the RSS Chief’s presence in the state capital, Congress Public Relations Minister PC Sharma said, “Bhagwatji will be in MP. I request him not to provoke the youth during his stay in the state.”

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been nurseries of the RSS for some years. But since the Congress managed to beat the BJP in both the states in December 2018, Bhagwat is likely to review the growing influence of the Congress in the Madhya Bharat region. He is also to review the impact of the CAA, abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir and Ram Temple verdict on the people.

“Sarsanghchalak ji is on a week-long tour of Madhya Bharat region to take part in various programs and will hold a meeting with the senior functionaries and pracharaks,” said Omprakash Sisodia, regional publicity in-charge of RSS’s Madhya Bharat region.

Talking about the three-day-long Bhopal event, he said, “He held interactions with the pracharaks (publicity in-charge) from MP and Chhattisgarh on the first day and discussed issues related to youth, their active participation on social media and the role of RSS volunteers. Bhagwat ji will focus on various other issues during deliberations with the ‘vibhag pracharaks’ and members of the BJP and other frontal organisations on the second and last day of his stay.”

The Sangh’s three-day programme is being seen as an effort to quell dissent among people against the new citizenship law and drum up support for the Union government. The pracharaks will be handed over district-wise plans to reach out to youths, sources added.

In the meeting, the RSS functionaries reportedly showed concern about growing influence of the Congress through what the RSS called a ‘soft-Hindutva’ agenda. They reportedly said the BJP’s base in MP and other neighbouring states was waning because of this.

After coming to power in MP, the Kamal Nath government have made a number of announcements to dent the BJP’s Hindutva agenda: From construction of 1,000 cow shelters, funding Sita Mata temple in Sri Lanka, organising Ramleelas in villages, to construction of Ram Van Gaman Path through a trust, development projects for Mahakal Temple, increase in honorarium of temple priests, the development of the Narmada Yatra route and so on. This has made it very difficult for the BJP to brand the Congress as an anti-Hindu party.

“The government’s pro-Hindu decisions have created a deep impact among the public about the Congress’s religious sentiments. They need to be discussed,” revealed a senior RSS cadre.

The Sangh Parivar is also upset over the decline of the BJP’s base in MP and other neighbouring states. Discussions on BJP leadership and growing resentment among grassroots workers would also be held on the second and final day of the RSS convention.