Key RSS-BJP meet likely on August 29

A crucial meeting of the RSS-BJP brass is likely to take place on August 29 wherein key issues including the Kashmir situation, dalit unrest, cow vigilantism and the BJP’s preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections will be discussed.

The coordination committee meeting is taking place at a time when the Kashmir unrest and the simmering dalit rage have hit the BJP and the Centre hard.

One such meeting held in September last year was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In these meetings, organisational issues, review of states, coordination between the ruling party and the Centre, and performance of the central government are usually on top of the agenda.

The meeting, it is learnt, will be attended by RSS’s second-in-command Mr Bhaiyya Joshi, joint-general secretaries Mr Dattatreya Hosabale and Dr Krishna Gopal among others.

From the BJP, party president Mr Amit Shah, general secretary (organisation) Mr Ramlal and central ministers including Mr Rajnath Singh, Mr Nitin Gadkari, Ms Sushma Swaraj, Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu and Mr Prakash Javadekar are likely to attend. The RSS brass, said sources, would also seek a report on the party’s performances in states including the BJP-ruled ones. Implementation of various Central government schemes and their impact would also be sought. Sources disclosed that the RSS bosses are concerned about the developments in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. The Sangh Parivar leaders had supported the Centre’s stand and had said: “acts to curb terrorism do not violate human rights”.

Another issue that has been troubling the Centre and the BJP is the Dalit unrest. It was also one of the reasons behind the change of guard in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat. Allegations were that former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s had failed to control the situation post the Una incident.

BJP’s poll strategists are of the view that the party leadership will have to rework its strategy of wooing Dalits and OBCs, especially as the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh has both communities in a significant numbers. UP, Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are the key states that will go to polls next year. The RSS has been actively involved in election-related strategies, which will be discussed during the meeting.