Sacked Goa RSS chief not to contest elections

Panaji, Sep 1: The RSS's Goa state unit chief Subhash Velingkar, who has been sacked from the post by the organisation, has no intention of contesting an election, an official said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's now former North Goa district head Krishnaraj Sukerkar said this was perhaps for the first time in the country that an entire state unit had shown open disapproval against a diktat from the RSS top brass.

"The one thing we know for sure is that Velingar will never contest an election," Sukerkar said, adding that the the RSS national leadership could have been misinformed about his intentions.

On Wednesday, over RSS 400 volunteers lambasted the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, especially Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and former Organising Secretary Satish Dhond, for allegedly conspiring to sack Velingkar.

Velingkar is one of the tallest RSS leaders in the state and is credited with politically grooming top BJP leaders, including Parrikar and Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

Surkerkar also said that the "expression of anger" by the RSS volunteers and the mass resignations of all the organisation's office bearers could be a first of sorts in the organisation.

IANS