Govindacharya returns to haunt BJP

There are some ghosts that never cease to haunt you. For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is former ideologue KN Govindacharya who went on a "study leave" in 1999, after some remarks by him about former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee prompted disciplinary action.

Back in the limelight after the Uma Bharti episode (he is one of her closest advisors), Govindacharya's return, through a public workshop in Varanasi organised by his Bharat Vikas Sangam outfit on November 22, continues to stir controversy.

Even though Govindacharya himself says that he had nothing to do with the Bharti episode, his sudden return to public life, though his seminar workshop has created a ripple in the BJP circles.

Govindacharya says the workshop will look at the cause and effect of globalisation and how government after government, including the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime has "shoved globalisation unthinkingly down our throats."

"There will be questions raised from the workshop, which will naturally question the decisions made by the BJP-led government. Therefore, it is a political statement. But since I am no longer in politics, I prefer to call it a call to civil society," he said.

Not that the determinedly "non-political" nature of the workshop has prevented him from courting a political audience. Invitations for the workshops have been despatched to both Vajpayee and LK Advani, who will be away at the BJP national executive in Ranchi. "I sent the invitation before the Ranchi dates were finalised," is all he would say to that.

Across the political spectrum, the invitation was also extended to former Prime Minister VP Singh. "Singh said that he supported my endeavour, but was otherwise engaged on the days of the workshop," said Govindacharya.

After remaining on the margins of political memory for the entire duration of the NDA regime, it is ironic that Govindacharya should resurface at a time when the BJP is facing some of its toughest ideological challenges.

The author of a "social engineering project," which tried to change the BJP from a mainly upper caste party with strong Other Backward Class (OBC) leaders like Bharti and Kalyan Singh, his return to public life is being given many meanings.

He himself is blase about his timing, "my study tour of 160 districts is over. It's time to share what I saw," Govindacharya said. "It is a workshop for the people, not for netas," he adds.

Former BJP ideologue steered clear of the controversy arising out of the suspension of Bharti from the BJP saying he had nothing to do with the saffron party after quitting it last year.

"Since I have resigned from the BJP, I have nothing to do with the affairs of that party or any other political outfit," Govindacharya said.

To a question, he, however, said as per the reports in media, Bharti was still active in politics. Referring to the arrest of Sankara-charya of the Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth, Swami Jayendra Saraswathi, Govindacharya said it was an outcome of the "tussle and petty politics" between the AIADMK and the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

"The manner in which the Sakancharya was arrested on the occasion of diwali and depriving him of basic facilities are indicative of the ill-will of the Tamil Nadu government," Govindacharya said.

The former BJP leader said that a three-day long seminar on the national issues by 'bharat vikas sangam' is being organised between from November 20 to 22 in Varanasi.