After Pranab Mukherjee's Nagpur Visit, RSS Claims Dividends In Bengal

Kolkata: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or the RSS, the BJP's ideological mentor, is reaping huge benefit from former president Pranab Mukherjee to its headquarters earlier this month. At a press meet in Kolkata on Monday, senior RSS leader Biplap Roy said applications to join the organisation from across the country have tripled since Mr Mukherjee went to Nagpur on June 7. A huge number of these were from Bengal.

"From 1 to 6 June, the 'join RSS' campaign on the RSS website would get an average of 378 applications. On 7 June, there were 1,779 applications. After that date, we are getting 1,200 to 1,300 applications every day and 40 per cent of the requests were from Bengal," Mr Roy said.

Mr Jisnu Basu, senior member of the RSS in Bengal, said while the largest number of people applying to join the organisation were from Karnataka, West Bengal was in the second position most of the time.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had invited Mr Mukherjee to the organisation's headquarters for a programme by the Sangh cadre. Before he addressed them, Mr Mukherjee visited the birthplace of RSS founder KB Hegdewar and described him in the visitor's book as "a great son of Mother India."

Mr Roy would not give Mr Mukherjee all the credit for the growing interest in RSS. Asked if his visit to Nagpur increased the popularity of RSS among masses, the Sangh leader said, "It would be wrong to interpret it in that way that because of Mukherjee, the acceptability of RSS has increased. RSS is popular among masses because of its activities in the society."

"But yes, after his speech at Nagpur, that has been a rise in interest among the masses about us," he added.

In West Bengal, Mr Roy said the RSS was growing steadily. From 1,000 "shakhas" (branches) across the state even five years ago, the count has shot up to 1,600.

In his speech, the former President had underscored the need to maintain pluralism. "The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance," he said. Leaders of the Congress had initially questioned his decision to attend the function. Later, the party said the former president had "shown the 'Mirror of Truth' to the RSS".

"As Indians and as Congressmen, we encourage and believe in the democratic dialogue" the Congress said, but questioned whether the "RSS was ready to listen". It also questioned whether the RSS believed "that by merely inviting the former President to an event will give it the much elusive social and political sanctity".