The kerfuffle now on with the CPI(M) and the Congress accusing each other of a covert “unholy alliance” with the Sangh Parivar is only a ploy to grab votes of the minorities, especially the Muslim community, according to RSS Prantha Karyavah (State secretary) P. Gopalankutty.
“The CPI(M) had deftly employed this tactic by creating a fear psychosis in the minds of the Muslim community after raking up the beef and Vante Matraram issue during the three-tier local body polls. Their leaders have succeeded in pushing this line, to garner a portion of traditional Muslim votes of the Congress-led UDF. So the Left parties easily compensated for the Hindu votes that they lost to the BJP,” Mr. Gopalankutty said in a chat with The Hindu on Tuesday.
He alleged that both the coalitions wanted a political anticipatory bail on poll eve by accusing each other of an RSS tie-up. “The RSS and the CPI(M) might have come on a same platform to protest the Emergency. That does not mean they share anything in common. Bringing up this issue now is only cheap politics. Besides, independent thinking Muslims would scoff at the idea,” he said.
Mr. Gopalankutty said the RSS would deploy its entire strength for the BJP this poll, with all ordinary Sangh workers getting on to the campaign field. However, no RSS office-bearer would publicly involve himself in any campaign activities and would not even accompany the candidates, he said.
The RSS cadre had been plunging into the poll arenas ever since its Sar Sanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat gave a call for electoral involvement in the last Lok Sabha polls, he said, while maintaining that the RSS had never interfered in the functioning of the BJP at any stage.
“However the RSS will give timely advice on appointments in the party or will step in when the party deviates from ideological positions. It is absolutely wrong to say that the RSS controls the BJP,” Mr. Gopalankutty said.
The RSS leader said he was happy with the performance of the recently anointed RSS pracharak Kummanam Rajasekaharan as the BJP State chief. It was for the BJP core committee to decide on the role for P.P. Mukundan, former organising secretary, who has returned to active politics. “However the RSS will have no objections to his future assignments,” he added.
