Why Should RSS be ‘Untouchable’? Knee-Jerk Reaction to Pranab’s Nagpur Visit Divides Congress
Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s much-talked-about visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur has brought to the fore an intense debate in the Congress on whether or not the Grand Old Party should follow political untouchability in public life.
There is a sharp divide in the party, with a section of leaders contending that the ‘leopard cannot change its spots’ and therefore the saffron forces needed to be fought off in the best possible manner.
Another section feels that the party is harming its own cause by constantly targeting the RSS, which has developed deep roots in society since its inception 90 years ago and needs to be engaged with intelligently and innovatively.
The churning has begun at a time when the Lok Sabha elections are not far. There is an acknowledgment in a section of the Congress, as also other opposition parties, that the RSS helped Narendra Modi in a major way to reach out to people in 2014 and become the first BJP leader to achieve the unique feat of securing majority.
