A news has come from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh meeting held in Mathura in which Rahul Gandhi was specifically mentioned. This in itself is quite strange because Rahul Gandhi constantly takes an aggressive stance against the Sangh.
Rahul Gandhi is also facing trial in a defamation case related to RSS. This case is being heard in the Bhiwandi court of Maharashtra. A case was filed against Rahul Gandhi on behalf of an RSS worker under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that Rahul Gandhi had accused the RSS of assassinating Mahatma Gandhi in 2014.
Rahul Gandhi says he has an ideological struggle with the Sangh and the BJP, and he does not even consider the country’s regional parties capable of doing this work because he believes that regional parties, like the Congress, do not have any ideology.
In such a situation, it is becoming difficult to understand why, even though Rahul Gandhi is a staunch opponent of the Sangh, the Sangh’s Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale feels he should meet the Congress leader. Even if they say Sangh people still know everyone. Although it has also been heard that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was in touch with RSS leaders, from Rahul Gandhi’s stance it does not seem at all that he would agree to meet RSS members.
In June 2018, at the invitation of the Sangh, former President Pranab Mukherjee attended a program in Nagpur. Before Pranab Mukherjee went to Nagpur, there was tremendous reaction from Congress leaders. Even his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee was not happy about this.
Has Dattatreya Hosabale received any special signs? Or has the Sangh simply rolled the dice for the Congress?
Why does the Sangh want to meet Rahul Gandhi?
After the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh meeting held in Mathura, during the question and answer session with the media, Dattatreya Hosabale said about Rahul Gandhi: “You want to have a shop of love in the market of hate, but you don’t want to meet. …We want to meet everyone.
But Rahul Gandhi does not agree with such things at all. He often says, “I will never be able to go to the RSS office… even if they cut my throat.”
This came to light when Dattatreya Hosabale was asked about reports of differences between the Sangh and the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Dattatreya Hosabale said: ‘We met leaders of all political parties… with each industrialist, with each leader of different communities… We do not have tensions with anyone, whether they are leaders of the BJP, Congress or other organizations. . I don’t want to name names here because it will be different news.
It has been said in many quarters that Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother Indira Gandhi is in touch with Sangh leaders. The relationship between the Sangh and Indira Gandhi has been specifically mentioned in journalist Neerja Chaudhary’s book ‘How Prime Ministers Decide’.
The book states that Indira Gandhi and many Sangh leaders had good relations, but she personally maintained a certain distance from both parties. The same book also says that Sangh leaders approached Indira Gandhi for help and in return, the former prime minister used the relationship as per her convenience, and this friendly relationship extended to both parties even during the emergency.
Neerja Chaudhary writes: ‘The then Sangh chief Balasaheb Deoras had written letters to him several times… Some Sangh leaders also contacted Sanjay Gandhi through Kapil Mohan.
Fearing the discontent of the Muslim community towards the Congress, Indira Gandhi wanted to give a Hindutva touch to her politics. She was also cautious that the Sangh’s tacit support or neutrality could also be helpful.
Rahul Gandhi’s position is different from Indira’s
Rahul Gandhi and Indira Gandhi’s views towards the Sangh do not coincide at all, and this is also due to the difference in the political positions of both of them. This was when Indira Gandhi was in power and Rahul Gandhi is continually fighting to gain power. During the era of Indira Gandhi, Hindus lacked strong leadership. In such a situation, Indira wanted to make her way among the Hindus through the Sangh as well. And it was largely successful. But Rahul Gandhi got the Congress leadership at a time when Hindus have strong leadership like the BJP, especially Modi.
With no hope of having united Hindus, Rahul wants to appeal to Muslims and people who avoid the terms Hindu and Hindutva. That is, their focus is on Hindus who want to stay outside the Sangh and its definition of Hindutva.
While Indira Gandhi wanted to connect with Hindus through the Sangh, Rahul wanted to go beyond the Sangh. It is possible that after coming to power, Rahul Gandhi’s views towards the Sangh will change, but right now that doesn’t seem possible at all, and it certainly doesn’t seem like he wanted to even meet the Sangh leaders.
It seems that way on the outside, but if a situation is being created internally, then it is a different matter. Rahul Gandhi may talk in his speeches about opening a shop of love, but his venom will continue on the Sangh issue.
