Panaji: The powerful Goa state chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Subhash Velingkar losing his job has sent a clear message that BJP leadership can influence Sangh's decision if the situation goes against the interest of the party.
This could set a new precedent in other parts of the country as the BJP under the leadership of Amit Shah is aggressive, but pragmatic in its strategies to win elections, analysts say.
The decision to relieve Velingkar as Goa RSS chief came as a shocker to the cadre of the right-wing organization on Wednesday most of whom have nurtured under his leadership for more than two decades. In the tradition of RSS, the state chief is rarely replaced.
In the instant case, the issue appeared more on principles that the RSS espouses - of promoting regional languages and having the primary education in one's mother tongue. Velingkar is the convener of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a group that has taken up the cause that in the backdrop of spurt in English-medium schools, government grants should go only to schools run in regional languages.
This stand is no different from that of the RSS on education. Velingkar has never minced words in calling a spade a spade. He didn't stop at lashing out at BJP for its "double standards" on MoI issue. Attacking Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, the RSS chief, who at one time groomed some of the present senior BJP leaders, called the former chief minister "a liar".
Right from the time he was inducted into the BJP from RSS, Parrikar and Velingkar enjoyed a close rapport for many years. Specially on education matters, BJP's policies were reportedly guided by Velingkar. And when Parrikar was the chief minister from October 2000 till March 2005, Velingkar is known to have been consulted on government's education policies. There were times when Parrikar, as chief minister, didn't go by the suggestions of RSS saying he has to run the government acceptable to all.
It's not that the action against Velingkar has come all of a sudden. The friction between the BJP and Velingkar had been brewing for more than a year now. But in the last six months, their relations reached a low ebb. In April, senior BJP leaders reportedly spoke to Amit Shah with a request to replace Velingkar, but the RSS headquarters didn't budge, sources said. Then there were attempts at rapproachment between the two, but Velingkar was in no mood for a compromise unless the grants to English medium primary schools were stopped.
The removal of Velingkar as the state RSS chief also has political implications. For the detractors of Parrikar, the message is clear - that as far as Goa politics is concerned, the defence minister continues to call the shots from Delhi.
The anti-Parrikar camp which had the sympathies of Velingkar is virtually silenced with the decision from Nagpur.
In brief, Wednesday's development is good news for the BJP in view of the forthcoming assembly election. It couldn't have been any better coming a day after BBSM announced to launch its own party to oust the BJP in the 2017 polls.
The move appeared to have checkmated the BBSM's plans to float a strong political front that could dent the BJP's chances at the polls. It also appeared as a measure to halt BBSM's objective of MGP severing ties with BJP. But, late developments on Wednesday, which saw a revolt by the RSS cadre, may see Nagpur take a review of the situation. It is to be seen how the BJP tackles the revolt in the RSS cadre in the run-up to the elections.
TOI Goa News
This could set a new precedent in other parts of the country as the BJP under the leadership of Amit Shah is aggressive, but pragmatic in its strategies to win elections, analysts say.
The decision to relieve Velingkar as Goa RSS chief came as a shocker to the cadre of the right-wing organization on Wednesday most of whom have nurtured under his leadership for more than two decades. In the tradition of RSS, the state chief is rarely replaced.
In the instant case, the issue appeared more on principles that the RSS espouses - of promoting regional languages and having the primary education in one's mother tongue. Velingkar is the convener of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a group that has taken up the cause that in the backdrop of spurt in English-medium schools, government grants should go only to schools run in regional languages.
This stand is no different from that of the RSS on education. Velingkar has never minced words in calling a spade a spade. He didn't stop at lashing out at BJP for its "double standards" on MoI issue. Attacking Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, the RSS chief, who at one time groomed some of the present senior BJP leaders, called the former chief minister "a liar".
Right from the time he was inducted into the BJP from RSS, Parrikar and Velingkar enjoyed a close rapport for many years. Specially on education matters, BJP's policies were reportedly guided by Velingkar. And when Parrikar was the chief minister from October 2000 till March 2005, Velingkar is known to have been consulted on government's education policies. There were times when Parrikar, as chief minister, didn't go by the suggestions of RSS saying he has to run the government acceptable to all.
It's not that the action against Velingkar has come all of a sudden. The friction between the BJP and Velingkar had been brewing for more than a year now. But in the last six months, their relations reached a low ebb. In April, senior BJP leaders reportedly spoke to Amit Shah with a request to replace Velingkar, but the RSS headquarters didn't budge, sources said. Then there were attempts at rapproachment between the two, but Velingkar was in no mood for a compromise unless the grants to English medium primary schools were stopped.
The removal of Velingkar as the state RSS chief also has political implications. For the detractors of Parrikar, the message is clear - that as far as Goa politics is concerned, the defence minister continues to call the shots from Delhi.
The anti-Parrikar camp which had the sympathies of Velingkar is virtually silenced with the decision from Nagpur.
In brief, Wednesday's development is good news for the BJP in view of the forthcoming assembly election. It couldn't have been any better coming a day after BBSM announced to launch its own party to oust the BJP in the 2017 polls.
The move appeared to have checkmated the BBSM's plans to float a strong political front that could dent the BJP's chances at the polls. It also appeared as a measure to halt BBSM's objective of MGP severing ties with BJP. But, late developments on Wednesday, which saw a revolt by the RSS cadre, may see Nagpur take a review of the situation. It is to be seen how the BJP tackles the revolt in the RSS cadre in the run-up to the elections.
TOI Goa News
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