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RSS chief softens his stand on minorities

Trivandrum: Softening his stand towards minorities ahead of the assembly polls in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagavat has assured them security under the Bharatiya Janata Party dispensation.
The RSS sarsanghachalak, who is on a three-day visit of the state to drum up support for the BJP in the assembly polls slated to be held in Kerala in April-May 2016, made his position known during his interactions with a select group of political observers at Cochin on Wednesday.
Advocate Sivan Madathil and D Binu, who took part in the interactions, told reporters that the RSS chief had told them that the apprehensions in the minds of the minorities about their security had no basis. He said that the BJP would protect their faith and culture. They said that Bhagavat had also ruled out any change in the current reservations. The RSS chief, who had created a stir among the backward castes by calling for a review in the reservation policy prior to the Bihar polls, said that the BJP government would maintain status quo in the reservation issue. However, he said that he was against reservations based on religion.
Addressing other issues in the state, Bhagavat said that the Sangh Parivar was ready for discussions to end the political violence in the state's northern district of Kannur. The clashes in Kannur, mainly between the RSS and the CPM cadres, have claimed more than 300 lives in the last three decades.
The climb-down by the RSS chief on various issues is seen by political observers as a tactical move to placate various sections of the people in the run up to the elections. His remarks on reservation had created furore among backward Ezhava community and made the task by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam to forge a political alliance with the BJP difficult.
The stand may help the newly appointed state BJP chief Kummanam Rajashekharan to formalise the alliance with the new party floated by the SNDP. Rajashekharan, who was a full time pracharak of the RSS, was appointed as the party president, with the clear objective of consolidating the Hindus behind the BJP.
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