The RSS has decided to approach leaders of a number of opposition political parties to promote harmony ahead of the Supreme Court's impending verdict on the Ayodhya dispute.
According to news agency ANI, the RSS—the ideological parent organisation of the BJP—will reach out to "selected" leaders of parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, RJD and Left outfits. All these parties have considerable number of Muslim voters. An RSS leader claimed its functionaries would contact "influential leaders" of opposition parties to appeal to them to maintain "peace and harmony, regardless of the judicial outcome, and to watch out against any attempts at provocation".
The RSS leader told ANI that the meeting on Wednesday between Congress leader Ahmed Patel, a close aide of Sonia Gandhi, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was part of the Sangh's initiative ahead of the Ayodhya verdict. While the Patel-Gadkari meeting purportedly discussed issues of farmers and infrastructure, there had been speculation that it could be connected to the ongoing tussle in Maharashtra between the Shiv Sena and the BJP on government formation.
also read
- NCERT books tweaks: References to Babri Masjid, Gujarat riots, Hindutva dropped
- Ayodhya Pran Pratishtha: 15 Indian sporting icons invited for Ram Temple consecration on Jan 22
- Ayodhya: 100 chartered flights expected on Jan 22; 10,715 AI cameras to keep watch on city
- ‘A judgement of court’: CJI Chandrachud on why Ayodhya verdict was kept anonymous
Interestingly, RSS sources told ANI that the outfit would not approach Congress chief ministers such as Kamal Nath (Madhya Pradesh), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and Amarinder Singh (Punjab). More significantly, the RSS will not contact Congress chief Sonia Gandhi or her children, Rahul and Priyanka; instead, the Sangh will contact Digvijaya Singh.
On Tuesday, RSS functionaries had met with leaders of Muslim outfits at the residence of Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Previously, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had met with Maulana Mahmood Arshad Madani, head of the influential Muslim group Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. On Wednesday, the Jamiat had said it would accept the verdict on Ayodhya and called on all to maintain peace.
