Around 90% of the trained Bajrang Dal cadres and active Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members have resigned in Guwahati and Assam. They have decided to campaign against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019.
Former Bajrang Dal Zila Sangjujak, Deepjyoti Sharma, talking to G Plus said, “Out of 820 Bajrang Dal cadres, 816 have resigned in Guwahati.” He himself had resigned recently after a crucial meeting was held in the Sukreswar Temple on 24th May last, where most of the Bajrang Dal cadres and some VHP members were present.
According to Sharma, out of 14,000 Bajrang Dal cadres across Assam, 13,900 have resigned.
Talking about VHP members, 380 members out of 400 active members in Guwahati have resigned, Sharma added.
Top state VHP leaders including VHP state advisor Dr. TK Sharma, have resigned from the organisation.
From the Bajrang Dal state executive team, 10 out of 11 members have resigned on 24th May officially.
The fissure in the organisation occurred after VHP strongman, Pravin Togadia, quit the organisation a month ago. It is alleged that a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-backed revolt saw Togadia’s close associate, Raghav Reddy, lose the election for the post of president.
A Guwahati-based VHP member said, “Togadia was the international working president of VHP since the last 6 years and Raghav Reddy was the national president. Because of the hard work of these two persons, BJP is in power in the state and the country today.”
According to him, because Togadia used to make comments against the central government, the RSS and BJP wanted him to step down. Accordingly, in the last presidential election of VHP, with a political conspiracy hatched by RSS and BJP, Justice VS Kokje won the election to the post.
Raghav lost to retired judge and former Himachal Pradesh governor VS Kokje by a two-thirds margin, in what was being seen as a statement of the Sangh Parivar’s support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been at the receiving end of Togadia’s relentless attacks. Kokje got 131 of 192 votes polled despite Togadia throwing his weight behind Reddy.
VHP, like the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Togadia has shared an uneasy relationship with Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, and the outcome of the election is a setback to him and his followers. Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the VHP.
According to Deepjyoti Sharma, Togadia was upset with Centre’s U-Turn to some of the vital issues which were promised to the VHP and Bajrang Dal before the 2014 elections. He said, “The Centre failed to work on the promise of the construction of the Ram Mandir.” Sharma said that Togadia was also unhappy because Hindu youths in the country were still unemployed, Indian Hindu citizens still slept hungry and the Centre had failed to solve various issues faced by Hindus in the country.
Sharma said, “Around 90% of the Bajrang Dal and VHP members in Assam are backing Pravin Togadia and we will campaign against the BJP and Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.”
Some Bajrang Dal members who have quit the organisation and are backing Togadia are getting job and business contract offers, a source in Bajrang Dal said.
Togadia to visit Guwahati after forming new Hindu organisation
Pravin Togadia is all set to form a new Hindu organisation and thereafter will visit Guwahati and address public rallies across Assam.
Former Bajrang Dal Zila Sangjujak, Deepjyoti Sharma, talking to G Plus said, “On 24th June, Pravin Togadia will form a new Hindu organisation in New Delhi and he will visit Guwahati on 1st July.”
While the Sarbananda Sonowal led Bhartya Janata Party (BJP) government has completed 2 years recently, Togadia and his followers are not happy with the performance of the state government.
A Togadia follower said, “Pravin Togadia will question the government on the two years’ performance during his expected 3-day visit to Assam from 1st July 2018.”
Togadia is also unhappy with the state government for not being able to resolve the illegal Bangladeshi issue, said the follower.
Togadia will also ask the people of Assam to join the new Hindu organisation which would be announced in Delhi on 24th June.
According to sources in VHP, the hierarchy structure of the new organisation has already been planned and even the new leaders have already been appointed. It’s just the name of the organisation and the official designations will be announced and allotted respectively after 24th June.
Sources in Bajrang Dal said, “Even a few RSS members will join the new Hindu organisation.”
