Political commentator Pavan Varma says that the speech made by the RSS sarsanghchalak in Nagpur last Monday was a clear message to Narendra Modi. Varma says it was a “pointed and relevant message” and of “seminal importance”. As Varma put it, it was “extremely important (because Mohan) Bhagwat speaks rarely but when he does so he has a purpose and a carefully thought-out message”.
Varma says when Bhagwat spoke about the need to “respect diversity, live together and respect others … (and) embrace goodwill to all”, he clearly had in mind the comments made by the BJP and Modi in particular during the recent election campaign. In one striking sentence Bhagwat said: “We must … treat the sons of our country as brothers”. Varma said it is “explicitly clear” that Bhagwat was saying Muslims are brothers not infiltrators.
Varma said although when the RSS chief said a true sevak does not have arrogance, he was speaking generically nonetheless “the inference was very clear” and it was obvious “at whom it was specifically directed”. Varma said that Modi’s claim that he is not of biological birth was probably “the final straw on the camel’s back”.
In the interview, Varma spoke at length about what he called a “Frankenstein monster” by which he meant “lumpen elements” and the kind of unchecked lawlessness and violence that they have unleashed in alleged support of Modi and the BJP. At one point in this section of the interview Varma named the Bajrang Dal.
Varma described the RSS chief’s speech as “a cautionary voice”. In fact, it’s one of three critical comments made by RSS leaders in the same week. There was Indresh Kumar’s comment as well as Ratan Sharda’s article in the RSS magazine Organiser. All three were said in public not in private. Was that just a coincidence or is it a conscious deliberate message?
