Atal flays RSS bid to stifle BJP

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today indirectly criticised the RSS for pillorying Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief LK Advani for his attempted rethink on the party's political thinking during his Pakistan visit.

Speaking at a function to mark the 89th birth anniversary of Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Vajpayee said Upadhyaya himself had "experimented" with various ideologies, and that fashioning ideology was a constant process. No thought, he felt, could be held as the "ultimate truth".

Ostensibly, Vajpayee was replying to the speech delivered by former Rajya Sabha MP and authority on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Mahesh Chandra Sharma, who spoke on the "inviolability" of the concept of Akhand Bharat, (which Advani abandoned in Pakistan) and Upadhyaya's stated views that politicians in the Jan Sangh mode should hold themselves away from power politics.

Sharma also said in Upadhyaya's view, to accept the post-1947 boundaries was to accept communal politics. The speech appeared critical of recent developments in the BJP.

In a stinging retort, Vajpayee said he did not agree with Sharma's formulation. "Since Sharma has dwelt upon issues, which have become controversial in the Sangh Parivar, let me make myself clear on it," he said.

"Nationalism helps provide stability to states, but there are limits to this as well. There should always be more thought on the issue," the former Prime Minister said. This appeared to be his reply to the question on abandoning the concept of Akhand Bharat by Advani.

Vajpayee, who had in his early career worked under Upadhyaya, said he had seen Upadhyaya go into different ideologies and stick to his views even when it harmed the Jan Sangh.

He gave the example of Upadhyaya's anti-socialist stance in the sixties on which the Jan Sangh had to reconsider just before emergency was imposed. In this he clearly supported Advani's struggle to find new direction for the BJP.

"Democracy as a system is in vogue now. Yet there are differing views on democracy as well," he said. "Earlier there was talk of democracy, then socialism. Socialism with democracy or at the cost or democracy. It is open thought that determines our course," he said.

Referring to politics and the pursuit of power, he was scathing about "barren intellectualism". "Chintan ke sath kriti, karm bhi zaroori hai," he said (It is important to have action along with the thought process). "This alone bears out the merits or demerits of what you are considering," he added.

Repeating that the fashioning of ideology was a constant process, he said the only yardstick to determine the correctness of one's course was to see if it benefited humanity.

Referring to the ideological confusion in the BJP and the Sangh Parivar he said: "A debate has begun and its not going to end soon. We are moving forward with one ideology. But we should not believe that it is the end or that we have reached the apex of our thought. It is a constant process."

Vajpayee had not openly come out in support of Advani in Chennai. But it is well known that Vajpayee wants the BJP to retain its autonomy from the RSS.

His message today appeared to be a warning of sorts to the RSS that although he may not openly revolt against the RSS, his views on BJP-RSS relations was not that different from Advani's.