BENGALURU: In a surprising development that is likely to embarrass the Congress leadership, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader CK Jaffer Sharief has backed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for President.
"Mohan Bhagwat is a highly respected leader and he is committed to the welfare of the country. No one should make any issue unnecessarily by opposing his name,'' ''Sharief told The New Indian Express.
“Just because Bhagwat is a part of a particular organisation, some people will have reservations. That is not correct. People belonging to other shades of opinion should show a large heart,'' Sharief added.
The former Railway Minister stated that this was his personal view, and not that of the the Congress party. The veteran leader also clarified that he is not thinking of leaving the Congress party or joining the BJP.
"I have expressed my views and have also written to PM Modi backing Bhagwat for President. That doesn't mean that I am leaving the Congress to join BJP. I do not expect anything from the BJP,'' he added.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sharief stated "I personally feel that nobody should find fault with Mohan Bhagwat's name being considered as a choice for the President of our country. As a Muslim and a person belonging to the minority community, I feel that minorities should not have any fear or crisis of confidence in Mohan Bhagwat's name being considered.''
“Mohan Bhagwat may belong to one school of thought but there should not be any doubt about his patriotism, love for people of India, loyalty to the nation and commitment to the Constitution of India and to the democracy,” he stated.
Sharief wrote that after the Bangladesh War, RSS had supported the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in national interest.
“Why should anyone become small and narrow-minded to say we have no faith and confidence in an Indian who is a patriot and working for the welfare of the people?” he asked.
On Friday, another senior Congress leader M V Rajasekharan too had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi but rubbished speculations on joining the BJP.