MM Joshi’s proposed trip to RSS HQ fuels speculation.
New Delhi : The BJP’s sidelined elders, better known as the Margdarshak Mandal, might have staged a strategic retreat but the veterans have not given up their campaign against the party leadership yet.
LK Advani, who led the veterans’ revolt against Amit Shah and indirectly even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had shown a softening of stance on Sunday by saying that the Modi government was on the right track in bringing ”achche din” for the country. On Monday, sources said Advani’s appreciation was more like a strategic retreat.
Meanwhile, Murli Manohar Joshi, another member of the angry foursome, has fuelled speculation with his proposed two-day visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur this weekend. Joshi’s visit on November 27-28 is ostensibly to address a special ”Shiksha Varg” of aged RSS members. He would be speaking to them on ”Integral Humanism” of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and on Indian philosophy. However, sources did not rule out the possibility that the academic-turned-politician would discuss ongoing events and argue for the issues raised by them in
the joint statement some days back. The joint statement, termed as an explosive document by some, was signed by Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie besides Advani and Joshi. It openly attacked the party leadership for trying to hide behind the curtain of ”collective leadership” and demanded a thorough review of the disastrous showing in Bihar and not by the same persons who managed the elections.
On Monday sources said the veterans, sidelined from all political activities for last 18 months, are keeping a close watch on the results of the Gujarat local body elections which are due on November 28. If the BJP does not fare well in these polls it would invariably be connected to the Patel\Patidar movement led by Hardik Patel and hence an indication of resentment against the Modi-Shah duo. Meanwhile, the FPJ has learnt that MM Joshi has met a cross section of leaders and ideologues from various Sangh affiliates in the past few days. The BJP leadership is apprehensive that the senior leader may be gathering ammunition against the central government on core policy issues such as .
