Sushma Swaraj meets RSS chief

New Delhi, Aug.28 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj called on Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday soon after the latter's press conference here.

Sources said the meeting took place soon after Bhagwat said that it was not the RSS's call to tell the BJP how set its own house in order, but for the latter to introspect and sort out their personal differences for the greater good.

Apart from Swaraj, other BJP leaders like Arun Jaitely, M.Venkaiah Naidu, Varun Gandhi also called on the RSS chief. BJP president Rajnath Singh met Bhagwat for one-and-a-half hours on Thursday. Murli Manohar Joshi also called on the RSS chief.

At Friday's press conference at the RSS headquarters, Bhagwat had said 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.

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 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)