NEW DELHI: RSS and BJP are looking beyond Delhi. After a series of meetings between the two in Delhi within a gap of one month to discuss policy inputs for the Central government, the ruling party and its ideological mentor are likely to congregate outside the national capital for the next big coordination meeting, Samanway Baithak. To be held in first half of September, baithak is likely to take up discussions on Dalits, cow protection and Kashmir, the big issues which find resonance during the upcoming Assembly elections.
Though, the exact venue of next Samanway Baithak was still being decided, a senior RSS leader confirmed to The Sunday Standard, it will be outside Delhi. Last year, three-day coordination meeting was held in Delhi where presentations on internal and external security were made by home and defence ministers apart from presence of top ministers. Last year, similar Samanway Baithak was held in Madhya Pradesh Bhawan in Delhi, PM Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat were present. Both are likely to be present during this year’s major meet.
Some of the venues of the next even separate BJP and RSS meetings have been chosen strategically. BJP’s national executive will be held in Kerala, next month. The two-day meeting in Kozhikode on September 24-25 will mark the centenary year of former Jan Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyay. What makes Kerala significant is that several BJP and RSS cadre were either killed or injured during attacks allegedly by Left activists. As Kerala gave a 14 per cent vote share to BJP during last elections, the saffron party’s presence is to reassure its cadre, who are feeling the brunt of post-poll violence.
Similarly, as RSS’s next meeting would be in Hyderabad (October) and its biggest annual meeting in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu in March next year. In both these cities, Dalit related incidents had caused national furore. Hyderabad was in news after university student Rohit Vemula allegedly committed suicide, while a Dalit girl was gangraped, and in another case a Dalit man was hacked to death in suspected case of honour killing. However, RSS functionary claimed the venue of these meetings should not be seen from a political angle.
Politically, the Dalit issue and cow protection will not only feature big in poll bound states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, which have higher Dalit populations, but also within the Hindutva family. RSS’ affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Saturday launched the stringent attack on the PM for his remarks terming “70 per cent of Gau Rakshaks being anti-social or running a shop” as insult to Hindus. Stopping short of issuing a warning, VHP’s Parvin Togadia, who in the past had chequred relations with Modi, said as it was no longer to save cows after Home Ministry advisory, the government should enact a law and start a helpline.
Despite consternation within the saffron family, RSS had backed PM in his statement on fake cow protectors disturbing the social harmony. This issue is likely to be discussed in future meetings.