Defending Hindutva Terror : Baba Ramdev, Puri shankaracharya and BJP's Rajnath Singh

The Telegraph, November 16, 2008

Sangh piles 'terror' heat on BJP

by Sanjay K. Jha

New Delhi, Nov. 15: The RSS is dissatisfied with the BJP’s tentative and faltering defence of “Hindu seers” being linked to recent terror attacks.

Sources say the RSS feels the BJP should have mounted a comprehensive attack on the political designs of the “secularist” UPA to malign Hindutva outfits.

Top leaders of the RSS and the BJP had met a few days ago to discuss the matter. Another meeting is expected tomorrow at Panipat in Haryana to formulate an effective strategy.

The sources say the BJP will be told not to speak in multiple voices and avoid using expressions like “there is no question of defending Pragya Singh Thakur”, the sadhvi accused of plotting the Malegaon blast.

The RSS has gone all out to defend the sadhvi and other suspects with links to the Sangh in the latest issue of its mouthpiece Organiser.

It describes the Maharashtra anti-terror squad’s probe as “a sinister plot by a hydra-headed monster” called the UPA. The front page is singularly dedicated to this tirade against the Congress-led ruling coalition.

Along with an editorial called “Fables from ATS”, the Organiser has four stories on the subject, based on the views of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Puri shankaracharya Swami Nischalanand, VHP chief Ashok Singhal and BJP president Rajnath Singh.

The RSS has objected strongly to the UPA’s “dichotomy” on so-called Hindu and Muslim terrorists.

To buttress its point, the Sangh cites the government’s reluctance to restore the anti-terror act Pota, its “hesitant” approach on the Jamianagar encounter, failure to crack over a dozen blast cases and tolerance of ministers who openly supported the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India.

Accusing the UPA of acting against “nationalist organisations” with “cynical vengeance”, the RSS warns that the Centre’s terror campaign based on “stupid and flimsy” charges would undermine the “essence and sovereignty” of India.

The RSS expects the BJP to clearly formulate its ideological position on the UPA’s alleged attempt to equate jihadi terrorism with Hindu terror.

It believes that the very notion of Hindu terror is bogus as no Hindu organisation has envisioned an armed struggle against the state or the Muslim community. But the Islamic terror outfits have a definite goal — to destabilise India and kill innocent people, according the RSS.

Many RSS leaders feel that even if some fringe Hindu groups have resorted to violence, the “retaliatory response” can be justified in the backdrop of “incessant attacks by jihadis”.