RSS, Government share a good rapport: Vajpayee era RSS coordinator

NEW DELHI: The current “coordination” between Narendra Modi-led government and RSS is ‘good’, feels Madan Das Devi, the RSS veteran, who had to firefight the tussle between RSS and first ever BJP-led government during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure. He credits accommodative stance of RSS for this good coordination.
“The coordination is good. There is less interference from Nagpur (RSS headquarters). There is no assertion from Nagpur so that government can take its own decisions,” Devi told ETin response to a query regarding his assessment of coordination between the RSS and Modi government.

His satisfaction over the coordination between the RSS and BJP government holds significance in the backdrop of the fact that the previous BJP-led central government under Vajpayee was hobbled because of the tussle between RSS and its affiliates.

As the then RSS joint general secretary, it was Madan Das Devi, who liased between the RSS and the BJP during those tumultuous years when RSS affiliates like Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) breathed down the neck of Vajpayee government on various issues. “That was not one-party government.

That was a multi-party government. So there were many sides to the government. Then the issue of Ramjanmbhoomi (pushed by VHP) had also gone far ahead. They all had taken stand on all kind of issues. So there was a controversy,” Devi said underlining why firm stands taken by RSS affiliates created controversy during Vajpayee regime.

“They (above mentioned RSS affiliate organisations) were more aggressive,” Devi acknowledged about previous BJP-led central government days. He suggested that accommodative position by RSS and its affiliate position provide elbowroom that could help elected leader’s vision come to full bloom.

“Vision of the leader can be broader when leader is given full freedom to take decision. The (Narendra Modi) government is taking decisions that are proving well too,” Devi said.

Devi, who earlier groomed many of the current crop of senior BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu, Ravi Shankar Prasad, JP Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan among others as the organising secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthee Parishad (ABVP), also credits the emergence of his ABVP wards in leadership position for the cohesion because of their organisational training.

Devi, who has been battling poor health and struggling to cope up with paralysis in the right flank of his body remains mentally alert and keeps meeting visitors.

As the RSS liaison with BJP, Devi also worked closely with LK Advani.He steered clear of giving his opinion about speculations on Advani being considered for the post of president next year.

“These are matters of speculation … He (Advani) is also available and can be a candidate, but I do not think that there is still any discussion happening on this issue … but I am not in decision making and people like us should not interfere. BJP should be deciding and everyone should accept that decision (about its presidential candidate),” he said.