BJP downplays RSS criticism

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. The Bharatiya Janata Party today downplayed criticism by the RSS stating that the comment on functioning of the Government was not against the present regime and comment on economic policies was a reiteration.

Reacting to the statement by a senior RSS functionary on the opening day of a Sangh camp at Agra, the senior BJP leader, Mr. J.P. Mathur, said the observation was general in nature which was applicable to various Governments during the last 50 years.

``The comment was general in nature. The BJP has not changed its leader so the statement cannot be said to be with reference to the party's Government. It is applicable to various Governments which have been in power during the last 50 years,'' Mr. Mathur said.

The RSS general secretary, Mr. Mohan Rao Bhagwat, had said at Agra on Friday that change of leaders, parties or slogans had not brought desired results and was also critical of the economic policies being pursued by the Vajpayee Government.

Mr. Mathur said the RSS views on the policy of liberalisation differed with those of the BJP and what was stated at Agra was a reiteration of the RSS stand.

He said there was no differences between the RSS and the BJP since the former has its own independent views on economic policies and liberalisation. The RSS, he said, differs with the BJP on the quantum and procedure of liberalisation. ``The message from Agra on economic policies can be termed as a friendly word of caution'', Mr. Mathur said.

Reacting to the open letter of the CPI(M) general secretary, Mr. Harkishen Singh Surjeet, to non-BJP NDA constituents, Mr. Mathur described it as an ``adverse comment on the CPI(M) itself.''

He charged that the CPI(M) had been for long trying to woo the BJP allies and the open letter was ``nothing more than a sign of frustration.''

On the criticism of the Vajpayee Government's foreign policy, Mr. Mathur said the communists never had an ``independent Indian foreign policy'' but always dittoed one pursued by China and the then Soviet Union.

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