TIA correspondent
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NEW DELHI: Former RSS chief K S Sudarshan’s anti-Sonia Gandhi diatribe has evoked a strong reaction in Congress party across the country.
The party not only condemned the statement as “debased, derogatory and disgraceful”, at its headquarters here, the party workers are holding demonstration against the RSS at different place all over the country .
Addressing a rally organised in Bhopal on Wednesday to protest the chargesheet against senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar in Ajmer Sharif bomb blast case, Sudarshan described the Congress president as “a CIA agent,’’ who “had plotted the assassination of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi and her husband, late Rajiv Gandhi.’’
Taking to media persons here said the party general secretary and media in charge Janardan Dwivedi said : “We ask Congress persons to maintain restraint and peace but protest against it; if they and the country’s people get agitated and react, it will be the responsibility of such organisations (RSS and BJP),”.
He asked the RSS and the BJP to spell out whether they support or oppose Sudarshan’s remarks, the Congress also told its rank and file to protest on the issue across the country.
Some Congress supporters staged a demonstration outside the RSS headquarters here tonight over the issue.
Condemning such allegations as “wild, baseless and obscene,” Dwivedi said the reaction of society should be such that no one dares speak in such language in future. Calling Sudarshan a “fossil”, he lamented that “such organisations which talk about culture and decency should stoop so low.”
The Congress also raised a ruckus in Parliament over the issue, with Treasury members in the Rajya Sabha storming the well of the House. Parliamentary Affairs minister Pawan Bansal later said Sudarshan has lost his mental balance. “The BJP, which draws its inspiration from the RSS should apologise for it,” he said.
BJP distanced itself from Sudarshan’s remarks. “Respect him (Sudarshan), but I don’t agree with his statement,’’ Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj told newspersons on Thursday evening.
BJP spokesperson Tarun Vijay said that Mrs Gandhi was an elected representative and should be treated with respect. “She is the chairperson of a ruling coalition and as a democratically elected Indian leader she deserves our respect. Whatever political differences we have with her must be addressed within an accepted, democratic framework and behaviour,” he said.
The RSS, too, said Mr Sudarshan’s views were not that of the organisation.