Shinde should’ve apologised: RSS

In what could be an attempt to mount pressure on the BJP to disrupt Parliament, the RSS Thursday expressed its dissatisfaction with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's "regret", saying it was not sufficient to assuage the "hurt" feelings of swayamsevaks (RSS volunteers). BJP, however, appeared unlikely to yield to the RSS pressure.

RSS leader Ram Madhav tweeted that the Home Minister should have apologised.

"Shinde Jaipur comments were derogatory n defamatory. He merely regretted. He shud hv apologised," Madhav said in a tweet that ran contrary to the BJP's position to allow Parliament to function on the basis of Shinde's "regret".

Later, he reiterated similar sentiments. "I am just expressing the feelings of RSS swayamsevaks all of whom felt hurt by the Home Minister's remarks. His regret is not sufficient to satisfy their hurt sentiments," Madhav told The Indian Express.

He, however, said his remarks did not amount to disagreement with the BJP. "It is not a disagreement. I highlighted merely the sentiments of swayamsevaks," he said.

The BJP, in this context, sought to suggest that Shinde's admission of having no basis for his allegations and regret amounted to apology. "We understand the sentiments of the Sangh Parivar. Home Minister's unconditional regret is like an apology and we have accepted the apology," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in response to queries about RSS's disagreement with the BJP.

The public expression of its dissatisfaction was an attempt by a section of RSS to mount pressure on the BJP leadership to disrupt Parliament, sources within the saffron camp admitted. "See, the RSS did not demand an apology. Neither did it announce to boycott and disrupt Parliament unless he (Shinde) apologised. It was the BJP leaders who made such assertions. It is BJP's political call," said a saffron camp leader underlining the RSS leader's remarks as a reminder to the BJP that it has gone back on its public statements.

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