NEW DELHI: Top functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday when into a huddle in the national capital to brainstorm on a range of issues, including the Centre's response to the pandemic, the party defeat in West Bengal, and the post-election violence in the state.
The meeting is being chaired by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. One of the functionaries, who is attending the deliberations, told The New Indian Express that it is a routine event and internal to the RSS. However, the meeting is taking place against the backdrop of the second wave of the COVID-19.
One of the functionaries said the RSS will be discussing the impact of the pandemic and the future course of actions, considering that there could potentially be a third wave of the virus this year. The general secretary of the RSS Dattareya Hosbole, and senior functionaries Manmohan Vaidya and Krishna Gopal will be taking part in the deliberations.
Incidentally, Hosbole had been in Lucknow recently, where the BJP's central leadership is holding meetings with the state ministers to find ways to improve the relationship between the state government and the party organisation, which is said to have been strained in the wake of the second wave of the COVID-19.
RSS leaders have expressed concerns about the political cost of the second wave of the pandemic, which has led to scores of people dying in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
With the RSS having closely followed the West Bengal elections, sources say the discussions may also focus on the reasons for the saffron's camp below-par performance. The RSS had thrown its weight behind the BJP's attempt to wrest power in the state.