CJI Gavai's mother says she won't attend RSS centenary program on Oct 5

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Kamal Gavai, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai's mother, on Wednesday said she would not attend a centenary program of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) here on October 5.

She decided not to attend the programme as chief guest in view of the controversy the news generated and the accusations and slander she faced, she said in an open letter.

Some people invited her to the October 5 programme; and as she harbours good wishes for everyone, she welcomes everyone, Kamal Gavai (84) said.

"(But) As soon as the news of the programme was published, many people started criticizing and levelling allegations at not only me but late Dadasaheb Gavai (her husband, former Bihar Governor R S Gavai). We have lived our lives as per (Dr B R) Ambedkar's ideology, while Dadasaheb Gavai dedicated his life to the Ambedkarite movement. Sharing our ideology on the platform of different ideology is also important, which needs courage," she wrote in the letter.

Her husband deliberately attended programmes of organisations subscribing to opposite ideologies and raised the issues of the deprived classes, she said, adding that he attended RSS's programmes but never accepted its Hindutva.

"If I had been on the dais (at the October 5 RSS function), I would have put forward the Ambedkarite ideology," Kamaltai wrote.

But as she and her late husband faced a volley of accusations, and attempts were made to malign her "because of one programme", she felt very sad and decided to put an end to all this by deciding not to attend the the Sangh function, she stated.

She was ailing and undergoing medical treatment, she mentioned.