Sudarshan slams Nehru, praises Indira

Attacking the Jan Sangh legacy of the fight against the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) chief KS Sudarshan today praised the former Prime Minister for her courage and determination and her role in carving Bangladesh out of Pakistan.

Sudarshan's remarks assume significance considering his earlier disparaging statement on the role of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"Indira Gandhi was a lady of firm determination unlike today's central leadership (the United Progressive Alliance government), which lacks the same," Sudarshan said at the "Sangh Shiksha Varg" on the bank of river Gomti in Lucknow.

"With the courage and determination, she managed to get Bangladesh separated from Pakistan in the 1971 war," the RSS chief said.

The RSS chief also trained his guns on first premier Jawahar Lal Nehru accusing him of being responsible for all the ills of the country.

"If we go to the root of the problems faced by the country, we find Nehru responsible for them," he said.

Terming Nehru as "English-minded", the RSS chief said the Britishers wanted their own man as Prime Minister so that their interests were protected and hence helped Nehru get the post despite Vallabhbhai Patel being the common choice.

"Nehru had said I would be the last Englishman to rule India," Sudarshan claimed.

He said after Indira Gandhi, the successive leadership of the country lacked the commitment and conviction to resolve the vexed Kashmir issue.

Brushing aside suggestions for accepting the Line of Control as the international border between India and Pakistan, the RSS chief said such a suggestion was detrimental to the interest of the country.

The RSS chief's remarks come at a time when the relationship between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS are at an all time low.

Not only Sudershan criticised Vajpayee's premiership and that Advani continued to be the BJP president at the age of 78, the RSS was also upset at Advani's attempts to rewrite history by terming Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, as secular.

In fact, the RSS chief's remarks especially at a time when the BJP is comparing the UPA government to the 1975 Congress government, is an attempt to undermine the BJP's attempt.

Since Advani called Jinnah a good man, the RSS retaliated by calling Indira Gandhi a firm leader, despite the fact that both Vajpayee and Advani had been incarcerated during the Emergency.

He also referred to the allegation on Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid that he helped run a terrorist training camp and demanded an inquiry into it.

Sudarshan termed as "misinformation campaign" the allegation that the RSS was "anti-Muslim". He said the Muslims should not be called a minority in the country as India was their home and they had their roots here.

The RSS chief referred to the 1965 and 1971 wars but made no reference to the Kargil war neither did he speak about Advani's recent remarks on Jinnah during his Pakistan visit.

He, however, held Jinnah, Nehru and Lord Mountbatten responsible for the partition of the country.

Senior BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh, Kesri Nath Tripathi, Lalji Tandon and Kalraj Mishra were present at the function.