Three senior RSS leaders to visit Jammu in mid-July

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 2

Three leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will visit Jammu in the second week of July to get feedback from workers at the grassroots about the functioning of the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir.

The leaders are Suresh Joshi, popularly known as Bhaiyyaji Joshi, Dattatreya Hosable and Gopal Krishan. Their visit gains importance because they will be in Jammu at the same time.

The top brass of the RSS will visit Jammu at a time when there is a feeling among the cadre in the state that the BJP has sacrificed its ideology for power.

Bhaiyyaji Joshi, RSS ‘sarkaryvaha’ (general secretary), is second-in-command in the hierarchy after ‘sarsanghchalak’ (chief) Mohan Bhagwat.

Dattatreya Hosable and Gopal Krishan are ‘sahsarkaryvahas’ (additional general secretaries). Gopal Krishan is looking after coordination between the BJP and the RSS at the national level.

The RSS chief is usually the main face of the Sangh Parivar and his role is of a philosopher and guide. Bhaiyyaji Joshi is the real executive of the RSS.

Highly placed sources in the Sangh Parivar said the trio would reach Jammu on July 14 and stay there for three days to interact with workers at the grassroots.

“The formation of the PDP-BJP government is the first experiment in the country wherein the saffron party has entered into an alliance with a party which is diametrically opposed to the core of the Sangh Parivar ideology,” said a source. He added that the Sangh Parivar was keeping a close watch on daily developments in the state.

“Jammu and Kashmir is the nerve centre of the Sangh Parivar’s ideology. RSS leaders are particular about the functioning of the government as the BJP has become a part of the government for the first time,” the source said.

He added that RSS leaders wanted to give the message that despite forming government with the PDP, the Sangh Parivar would sacrifice its core ideology as far as Jammu and Kashmir was concerned.

The sources said during their stay in Jammu, the RSS leaders would hold closed-door meetings with BJP leaders in J&K to review party ministers’ performance.

The sources further said RSS leaders would review the relief work started by the Sangh Parivar for the flood-affected in J&K.