New Delhi: BJP President Rajnath Singh on Tuesday denied reports that RSS had anything to do with the elevation of Narendra Modi as campaign chief and accused the media of spreading "baseless reports" that the party overlooked reservations by senior leaders.
Singh took pains to explain RSS has no hand in the decision to promote the Gujarat chief minister as campaign chief. " I want to clarify that the reports in the media saying the Sangh had issued a statement on this are false. I spoke to members of the Sangh even they said that there was no such statement from them. These reports are completely false and baseless," Singh clarified on reports that the party was under pressure from the RSS over the crisis triggered by the resignation of senior leader LK Advani.
There had been reports in a section of the media earlier that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had called Rajnath Singh to discuss Advani's resignation. Sources said that both the BJP and RSS were of the view that there should be no going back on the decision to appoint Narendra Modi as head of the election campaign committee.
However, they feel that Advani should be given due respect and all efforts should be made to convince him to take back his resignation.
Several senior leaders had expressed displeasure over Modi's elevation on Sunday with many remaining absent form the recently concluded Goa conclave where Modi was given the important post. Advani and some other leaders gave the meet a miss citing health reasons. This was the first time Advani had stayed away from the National Executive and the office bearers' meeting since 1980 when the BJP was formed.
A day later, Advani sent his resignation to party President saying that he was quitting all posts in the party. In the one-page resignation, Advani said, "For some time I have been finding it difficult to reconcile either with the current functioning of the party, or the direction in which it is going. Most leaders of ours are now concerned just with their personal agendas."
Advani rued the BJP was no longer the "same idealistic party" created by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, Nanaji Deshmukh and Vajpayee. "All my life I have found working for the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party a matter of great pride and endless satisfaction to myself," said Advani in his resignation letter.
Advani aides claim the fundamental issue of discord now is how the BJP will be run. CNN-IBN has learned that the real reason is that Advani is upset with the troika of Rajnath and two RSS points persons in the party.
Advani blamed RSS leaders Suresh Soni and Ram Lal, aided by Rajnath Singh, for pushing Modi's case without a consensus. Interestingly RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke to Advani a few days back when the National Executive was on. Bhagwat will meet Advani on June 18 in Delhi to discuss the ongoing controversy.
(with additional information from PTI)
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