Mohan Bhagwat's take on BJP slogan sets opposition abuzz

Mumbai: Leaders of several opposition parties on Monday reacted sharply to Rashtriya Swhayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments on the Bharatiya Janata 

Party’s ‘Congress mukt Bharat’ slogan.The opposition has been quick to interpret a change in the tone and tenor of the RSS, which is considered BJP’s ideological mentor, after 

Mr Bhagwat sought to put some distance between his organisation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s often repeated slogan.

Addressing a book release function in Pune on Sunday, Bhagwat said, “These are political slogans. The word ‘mukt’ is used in politics. We never use the language of excluding anyone. We have to include everyone in the process of nation building including those who oppose us.”

In a tweet, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam sought to attribute Mr Bhagwat’s apparent desire to distance himself from the BJP’s key slogan to a reading of the changingpolitical winds. “See how winds are changing the direction. He (Dr Bhagwat) took six years to distance himself from the statement. Still, it looks like he too wants to keehimself away from (Mr) Modi now.”

Nationalist Congress Party’s chief spokesperson Nawab Malik called it an ‘opportunistic’ statement. “Mr Modi is talking over this for last four years. What has prevented Dr 

Bhagwat from denying this line? It means that he supported it initially but is looking at the anti-BJP mood of the people now he wants to distance himself from (Mr) Modi and BJP,” Mr Malik said.

Bharatiya Republican Bahujan Mahasangh leader J.V. Pawar, however, said Mr Bhagwat’s statement was ‘expected’. “There is no difference between the Congress and the BJP. 

The ideology of both parties is supremacist. So, Dr Bhagwat talking about the Congress is part of RSS’ culture,” Mr Pawar said.