DISCORD IN THE FAMILY
At the end of his seventh year as the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi would never have thought his relationship with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) would be on such slippery ground. After all, pracharak-turnedpolitician Modi has delivered on at least two of the Sangh’s obsessions—the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the abolition of Art. 370 and with it Jammu & Kashmir’s special status. Yet, the second Covid surge—where the country has officially reported some 40,000 deaths in the first 10 days of May—has caused much friction between the Modi regime and the Sangh.
The focus of Sangh affiliates right now is on relief work but there is growing discomfort about Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks: “ (the people, the rulers, everyone was caught off-guard)”. Known to weigh his words carefully, Bhagwat’s choice of the Urdu word ‘’ (it can mean inattentive but also laxity) raised eyebrows.
