National

I Called Vajpayee 바카라˜Face of BJP바카라™, Media Made It 바카라˜Mukhota바카라™

RSS ideologue K.N Govindacharya spoke to Outlook on Atal Behari Vajpayee's demise. He says, "Vajpayee and I have shared a father-son relationship."

I Called Vajpayee 바카라˜Face of BJP바카라™, Media Made It 바카라˜Mukhota바카라™
info_icon

Atal Behari Vajpayee and the RSS shared a close bond바카라”he was a swa­yamsevak totally devoted to the Sangh. The Sangh, in turn, has immense respect for him as a swayamsevak who was into politics. Vajpayee and I have shared a father-son relationship. His public life equals my age. As an RSS ideologue, I always respected his way of thinking. The RSS also adopted Atalji바카라™s thoughts and ideology.

During the Bihar assembly elections of 1967, Atalji and I had an in-depth conversation. I was asked by the RSS to brief Atalji. I told him the time has come when the Sangh will have to strengthen itself to challenge the opposition. To this Atalji said, 바카라œLet the governm­ent be formed, time will tell who will sur­­­vive, who will stay and who will not바카라. He believed that we 바카라œneeded power, but not at all costs바카라. He never compromised with this principle.

He was a master of the politics of consensus, a democrat. Atalji was by nature a moderate and abhorred violence. To him, language was a powerful weapon바카라”a weapon that could spread hatred could also tackle situations without creating any tension. He said that he believed in 바카라˜bhakti pradarshan바카라™ and not 바카라˜shakti pradarshan바카라™.

Once I was misquoted by the media, which reported that I had called Atalji 바카라œthe BJP바카라™s mukhota바카라 (mask). While answering a question about who was going to be the party president during the 1996 polls, I named someone else. 바카라œWhy not Atalji?바카라 I was asked. I replied, 바카라œAtalji is the most popular and most acceptable face of the BJP; by projecting him it will get a majority.바카라 Some reporters replaced the Hindi word 바카라˜chehra바카라™ (face) with 바카라˜mukhota바카라™. I respect Atalji as my guru. A student can never speak ill of his guru.

(As Told To Satata Karmakar)

(The author is an RSS ideologue)

×