RSS rakes up Sonia's origin issue again

Renewing its attack on the foreignorigin issue of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, RSS yesterday said the formation of a Congress-led government at the Centre does not mean the issue is over.

"The formation of the UPA government led by the Congress at the Centre does not mean that the foreign origin issue of its president is over and the people of the country have accepted her," RSS chief K S Sudershan told reporters here. He charged Gandhi with "misleading" the nation about her education.

Sudershan admitted that the RSS as an organsiation had not taken part in the 'Quit India' movement, primarily because the Congress, which was leading the movement, had not taken the other organisations into confidence. Yet the RSS activists took part, he said naming a couple of them who had attained martyrdom in the movement.

On the criticism made by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh against the RSS, Sudershan said the Sangh was preparing to go to court on the issue. Sudershan, however, said that the HRD minister had changed the statement saying the atmosphere of hatred and animosity created by the Sangh was responsible for the assassination and not the organisation itself.

He said infact the RSS activists were involved in his secuirty. Sudershan came out in defence of the BJP saying though the party had failed to follow the 'hindutva' agenda due to complusion of coalition dharma during the NDA rule, it has now realised its mistake and decided to return to its roots.

"The VHP's anger with the BJP for having failed to live upto the aspirations of the people during the NDA regime was justified but the BJP too has realised its mistake now and has decided to return to its roots during the party's recent conventions in Mumbai and Goa," he said.

On the arrest of senior BJP leader Uma Bharti for hoisting the national flag at the Idgah Maidan in Hubli, Sudershan said the BJP has already announced a protest programme over the issue as hoisting the national flag at a public park was no crime.

On the controversy over the removal of Veer Savarkar's plaque at the cellular jail memorial in Andaman, he said former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had forcibly got his name included in the list but the courts later absolved him of the crime.

On setting up an Urdu university in Uttar Pradesh, Sudershan said Urdu has its origin in the Middle East and would be of no help even to the Muslims.