BJP will rise from the ashes, says a confident Bhagwat

New Delhi, Aug.28 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Mohan Bhagwat said on Friday that he was confident that the crisis ridden Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will rise from the ashes, and would overcome all the problems that it is facing at this time.

"I am confident that the BJP will rise from the ashes. The BJP may have taken some wrong decisions, but the RSS can't question them. The BJP is working according to the discipline of their organization," said Bhagwat at a press conference at the outfit's Delhi headquarters.

He further said the Sangh does not have time for politics, and added that when the BJP takes a decision, "it shares it with us and we usually agree with them."

He said that it was not his job to tell what was happening inside the BJP. To question whether the BJP was in a state of collapse, he rejected it outright, saying that the BJP is perfectly capable of overcoming its problems and issues.

He also said that the RSS practiced the philosophy of persuasion and did not subscribe to the view that imposed its will on its affiliates.

Bhagwat said: "It is for the party to decide on the leadership issue. Opinions given by me to party leaders are not official. The RSS does not advise BJP in matters of governance."

His comments were with reference to the criticisms launched against senior BJP leader L.K. Advani by some of his former and current colleagues, including Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh, besides former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra.

"We advise and support the BJP, but decisions in internal matters is theirs. We are never worried, we will tide over the crisis.

He repeatedly refused to comment on the BJP crisis, and as far as Shourie's comments were concerned, he said: "Don't want to comment on what Shourie said about others."

Bhagwat's comments came after his meetings on Thursday with BJP president Rajnath Singh and senior leader Murli Manhar Joshi. The discussion with Singh lasted for one-and-a-half hours.

BJP leader Varun Gandhi also met him on Friday morning for about 45 minutes.

Bhagwat had on August 18 called for an end to factionalism in the BJP, the political wing of the Sangh Parivar, and said the party leadership should make way for younger leaders.

The expulsion of Jaswant Singh, two days after the launch of his latest book-Jinnah: India -Partition - Independence, has been criticised by senior leaders Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha. Shourie has called on the RSS to take over the leadership of the BJP. (ANI)