BJP national president Nitin Gadkari has got a breather for a while. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Wednesday dropped a hint that Gadkari, who is in spotlight following land scam involving Purti sugar factory and couple of other businesses, will continue to assume his post till his term expires in December and also till the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections are over.
Thereafter, RSS, which was quite instrumental in Gadkari's elevation to the post of the BJP national president, is expected to advice Gadkari to step down to avoid further embarassment of the RSS parivar as a whole.
The issue would come up for discussion at a two day RSS conclave slated for October 30 and 31 in Chennai.
Curiously, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the sidelines of Vijayadashmi sanchalan (parade) at the organisation's headquarters in Nagpur also termed that the expose against Gadkari was the party's internal issue and it would handle it.
Bhagwat announced that RSS was against corruption. However, revelations in media on Gadkari for his alleged involvement in scam overshadowed today's function at Nagpur and in rest of Maharashtra in particular.
A senior RSS functionary, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard, "RSS never directly interfers with BJP's functioning but it does advice the party on several issues. As per the RSS style of functioning, Gadkari will not be immediately asked to step down from the party post but it can be done after the present storm is settled down."
He admitted that present expose against Gadkari would weaken BJP's stand against corruption and thereby put the party on defensive.
Another RSS leader, who knows Gadkari for more than 25 years, said Gadkari's continuation for the second term would open pandora's box as leaders from various states, districts and city units embrolied in various scams may stake claim for another tenure.
"One of the arguments which BJP used against the ruling Nationalist Congress Party ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and water resources minister Sunil Tatkare was that they used their posts to make money by forming several shell companies. Same argument can be made against Gadkari and it will be quite difficult for Gadkari and the party as a whole to defend the allegations ahead of parliamentary elections and the subsequent assembly elections in Maharashtra in 2014," the leader said.
Despite repeated attempts Gadkari, who took part in today's Vijayadashmi sanchalan at Nagpur, was not reachable for his comment.
BJP's former union minister raised serious doubts over the party's Mahasangram (mega battle) against corruption as announced by Gadkari in his presidential speech at the recent national executive meeting held in Haryana.
"Gadkariji had also appealed to all parties, organisations, individuals, particularly youths to collectively give impetus to the struggle against corruption and liberate India from the corrupt rule of the Congress," he said, adding that how BJP continues its fight against corruption remains to be seen.
