Advani, RSS on way to mending fences

Nearly two years after senior BJP leader LK Advani created a storm with his praise of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the RSS and the senior leader seem well on their way on to reconciliation.

According to sources in the RSS, the BJP leader was invited to flag off the Sangh's year-long celebration of the first war of Independence. It is another matter that Advani had to decline the invitation.

"The function is to be held on May 10, but since Advani is a member of the government's committee on the celebrations, he excused himself," said a source in the RSS.

Significantly, it is the man who stood by Advani through the Jinnah episode, Narendra Modi, who has been invited as the chief guest at the function.

"The RSS top leadership begun to realise that mistakes were made on both sides -- by the RSS when the sarsanghchalak said it was time for (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and Advani to hang their boots, and by Advani when he made his remarks on Jinnah," said a source in the RSS.

"The biggest mistake was to let go of Advani when there was no alternative of the same stature," said the source.

The rapprochement moves have not come from one side alone. KS Sudarshan, sarsanghchalak of the RSS and Mohan Bhagwat, the sahkaryavah, are now regular visitors at formal functions at the Advani household. Both were present at a recitation of the Sunder Kand from the Ramayana at Advani's house and when Advani's daughter's documentary film was released.

The invitation to Modi is all the more significant as it makes it clear that the RSS considers him the BJP's most important leader after Advani.

"It is a fact that in terms of stature there is still nobody in the BJP to match Vajpayee and Advani," said the source. Which leaves the question of the race for the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the 2009 General Elections wide open.

The RSS has also realised after the unsavourary Sanjay Joshi episode that direct interference in power politics may taint it. Recently, Bhagwat was approached by some people seeking tickets for the UP polls, causing ferment in the organisation, which prides itself on shunning power politics.