... Within hours of winning the vote of confidence, the BJP leaders, both in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, assumed a strident position of not only defending their links with the fascistic and communal RSS, but going to the extent of asserting that they belong to the RSS and are committed to its ideological project. The prime minister ... stated that the RSS is a "good organisation" ... The home minister ... sought to deny that the RSS will be the real power behind this government and operate it through a remote control. In doing so, he has actually exposed before the country and the people ...
The home minister gave a weak explanation to deny the RSS role as a remote control by pointing out that Nehru and Patel used to consult Mahatma Gandhi and that Morarji Desai used to consult Jaiprakash Narain, but neither can be accused of being a remote control. It needs to be underlined that Nehru and Patel were heading a Congress government and Gandhi was the undisputed leader of the Congress. Their consultations, therefore, were of the nature of the nature of representatives in the government consulting the party leaders. Likewise, Jaiprakash was the inspiration and practically the creator of the Janata Party ... Morarji Desai's government was a Janata Party government. The consultations between them, therefore, were of a similar nature.
By Advani's very own logic ... the leaders of the present government are members of the RSS and, therefore, they consult the RSS chief ... In other words both the prime minister and the home minister have confirmed that it is the RSS which is holding state power. Hence, there is no need for the RSS to function as a remote control; it is in actual control ...
The dangers of such a reality to the secular democratic foundations of a modern Indian republic have been confirmed by none other than their leader in the Rajya Sabha (also a member of the RSS of long standing). While the home minister in the Lok Sabha said he was not 'apologetic' for placing issues like Uniform Civil Code, abolition of Article 370, and construction of a temple at Ayodhya in the BJP Manifesto. S.S. Bhandari in the Rajya Sabha went a step ahead to firmly state that these continue to be important issues for the BJP ... He stated that the BJP, as a political party, will vigorously campaign for them ... Such a campaign backed by state power will have grave and dangerous consequences in today's circumstances.
... The RSS is settling down to its business of seeking to establish its ideological project of a 'Hindu Rashtra'. This represents a grave assault on the secular democratic foundations of India ... This is a challenge that will have to be faced and defeated.
