INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Former President Pranab Mukherjee said at an RSS event that India derives strength from tolerance.Mumbai:
Long-time BJP ally Shiv Sena has voiced its suspicions on why Pranab Mukherjee was invited to attend an event of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
If the BJP falls short of numbers in next year's general elections, the RSS, its ideological mentor, may propose the former President as the
Prime Ministerial candidate, the party said -- a theory that has been shot down by Mr Mukherjee's daughter."We feel the RSS is preparing
itself for a situation where it might put forth Pranab Mukherjee as Prime Minister if the BJP fails to get required numbers," said senior
The Sena leader added that there was a real possibility that the BJP will fall hugely short of a majority -- the party will "lose a minimum
of 110 seats this time".There has been huge speculation about the invitation and Mr Mukherjee's decision to accept it
Even a section of his lifelong party, the Congress, tried hard to dissuade him from attending
Some leaders, including Mr Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, openly said it will play into the BJP's hands by offering them a
devastating political weapon.Today, Ms Mukherjee tweeted again to contradict the Sena. The Sena, which opposes the BJP on most issues
despite their alliance at the state and the Centre, first made public their theory in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna
The article said the BJP might propose the name of Pranab Mukherjee as the consensus candidate for PM's post the next year if it fails to
gain majority.The former President, it also said, did not touch upon the contentious issues during the tenure of the BJP-led government --
including the crisis in judiciary, inflation and unemployment.In his speech on Thursday, the former President underscored the need of
freeing public discourse from all forms of violence and reminded the government about Rajdharma
"The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance," he said.The Congress said the former President has "shown the 'Mirror of Truth' to
But senior leader Manish Tiwari said visit will be seen as an attempt to mainstream RSS in secular consciousness
He also chose to question why the 82-year-old former president chose to go to Nagpur and deliver "homilies on nationalism" after having
cautioned young Congressmen like him against the Sangh.
