No study of the Bharatiya Janata Party can be complete without evaluating the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in its birth, growth and conflicting duality of its actions (“Why the BJP matters”, April 15). The party’s core strength, a committed cadre, in fact is provided by the swayamsevaks of the RSS. The RSS also played a decisive role in catapulting Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, and then his subsequent victory, which may be a reason why Mr. Modi fights shy of taking on the RSS.
While the party has acquired the image of liberalism, its proclivity towards rigid nationalism and a fetish for symbolism comes from the RSS. The country, particularly the young generation which voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election, is perplexed by the dual personality of Mr. Modi — liberal on the economic front and quiet about the disruptive forces within his party.
Y.G. Chouksey,
Pune
