Ex-RSS chief disses Sonia, sparks political storm

New Delhi, Nov 12: A scathing remark made by ex-RSS Chief Sudarshan on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has sparked off a political storm with Congress spitting venom while RSS and BJP uneasily tried to distance themselves from the controversy.

What Sudarshan said...

At an informal gathering following a dharna in Bhopal on Wednesday, Nov 10, Sudarshan dubbed Sonia a CIA agent and alleged that she plotted the assassinations of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his mother Indira Gandhi.

Claiming that Sonia's father was in jail at the time of her birth in 1944, Sudarshan went up the extent of calling the Congress President an 'illegitimate child' and said that she had deliberately misrepresented her date of birth as 1946.

He said that he heard these details from a Congressman but refused to divulge the person's name, a Hindi newspaper reported.

RSS, BJP duck trouble

Smelling trouble over the remarks, RSS as well as the BJP were quick to distance themselves from the remarks.

"The RSS has noted with concern reports in a section of the media attributing it to former Sar Sanghchalak Sudarshan. However, those are not the opinions of the RSS," the organisation's spokesperson Ram Madhav said, adding RSS has never discussed such matters at any time or at any level, nor does it possess any such information.

The BJP also distanced itself from Sudarshan's statement, saying that Gandhi was an elected representative and should be treated with respect.

"As a democratically elected leader she (Gandhi) should be respected. She is the chairperson of a ruling coalition and as a democratically elected Indian leader she deserves our respect. Whatever political differences we have with her must be addressed within an accepted, democratic framework and behaviour," BJP spokesperson Tarun Vijay said here.

Congress hits back

Angered by the remarks against the party boss, Congress lashed out against Sudarshan, calling him a "fossil from the archaeological museum".

"No language can be more uncivilised than this. There can be no bigger lies than these. If Congressmen get worked up after reading all this, they (RSS) will be responsible for it. Congress strongly condemns this. The reaction to it should be such that none can use such uncivilised and obscene language again," AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

Congress even challenged BJP and Sangh to "disown" Sudarshan after they distanced themselves from his controversial remarks.

OneIndia News