These two strategies however have one common element. The fear of resurgence of Congress. The BJP leaders may describe Rahul as serial vacationer, the fact cannot be denied that they are quite nervous. The leadership might have won the Haryana election and tried to send the message that Modi miracle still works, but in their hearts they know that , the BJP would have been officially the looser. If some last minute malpractices were not resorted by the BJP.

Nevertheless the design of the RSS is more treacherous. RSS leaders pretending to be upset with Rahul Gandhi not inclined to meet them, is part of their well planned scheme to malign their critics. It is a known fact how they maligned the image of almost all the national leaders and tried to usurp their credibility for the promotion of their fundamentalist right-wing politics and philosophy. The people of India are yet to forget their conspiracy to malign and use Jay Prakash Narayan for their gains in earlier years.

On the pretext of extending support to JP’s fight against Indira Gandhi’s autocratic rule, they did not hesitate in describing him as supporter of their principles and politics. In 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan too had given up his initial stand towards RSS and joined hands with it to topple Indira Gandhi. RSS leadership only for the sake of exploiting his political stature and credibility had promised to give up its communalism and welcome Muslims into its fold for the time being. The then RSS chief Deoras had committed but in 1977 RSS reneged on this promise and they even went upto breaking Janata Party on the issue of double membership later.

Adopting a public posture that it wanted to meet Rahul, but he was not willing, is simply a façade to gain peoples’ sympathy and malign Rahul. RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s statement has not come as a surprise. For RSS leaders who have mastered the art of speaking lies and distort the facts, this is not a big issue. If Hosabale or his boss Mohan Bhagwat were really serious about meeting him, they should have approached him. Will Hosabale place in public domain whether at any stage the RSS leadership expressed officially any desire to meet Gandhi? Have they asked for an appointment with him? Will Hosabale put the fact that Rahul has ever refused their invitation?

RSS is built on the foundation of fascist ideas on the lines of Musolini and Hilter. Obviously it would be naïve to believe that they have moral conviction to speak truth. Why the hell Rahul should express its desire to meet the RSS leaders when he strongly feels that the RSS is the fountain head of all the ills and vices the country? He had already declared RSS as his enemy number one. Hosabale and his team of RSS leaders have been ridiculing his slogan of Mohabbat Ki Dukan. They will certainly resort to mocking him, as their launching of politics of killings and lynching of innocent Muslims have exposed them and their claim of being nationalist.

The RSS leadership is scared of losing support in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Well placed sources maintain only recently a group of state level cadres have posed a serious question to Bhagwat and Hosabale: why are they reluctant to face and discuss the economic issues the people were facing? Will only the slogan of Hindutva prove to be panacea to all the basic problems the people were facing?

Nonetheless the primary reason that forced Bhagwat and Hosabale to indulge in the game of blaming Rahul, is the feedback from the ground level that even trusted cadres were deserting the organisation while new faces were reluctant to join it? It is also said that the RSS and BJP have been manipulating and feeding fake membership number. Unable to find dedicated cadres, it has started appeasing the new entrants by offering coveted posts and financial assistance. RSS’s endorsement has been made compulsory for getting grant or financial aid.

One development is quite noticeable, and it was most visible during the recent ticket allocation in Maharashtra. Rahul was quite angry with some top state Congress leaders for distributing tickets to some unwanted candidates. But he refrained from making it a big issue. He continued with his mission to give a left of centre image and character to the party. He knows once his mission picks up momentum, all the pro-RSS elements in the Congress would be eliminated. His effort to identify with the dalits and poor purely aims at it. This is the biggest ever transformation for Congress. Known as the pocket borough of the rich and feudal lords, he is making a conscious effort to make it a forum for marginalized.

Naturally to accomplish his mission, he has to emerge as the toilingclass hero. He had already been posting videos showing him spending time with artisans and workers. Coinciding with Deepawali he told newsmen: “We don't understand their life so I thought that before celebrating Diwali this time, I should talk to those people about their problems. Celebrated this Diwali by working with some painter brothers, making clay lamps with a potter's families. Observed their work closely, tried to learn their skills and understood their problems and problems.” The most perceivable was he was accompanied by his nephew Raihan, son of Priyanka.

The message emanating from Rahul’s moves has in fact unnerved the RSS leadership. Bhagwat and Hosabale are scared if Rahul manages to win the hearts and minds of the OBC, Dalits and proletariats, their dream of converting India into a Hindu Rashtra, would never fructify. It would continue to be a mirage. For RSS leaders, the battle to fight the ideological onslaught against RSS by Rahul Gandhi, has become crucial. (IPA Service)