RSS chief Bhagwat camping in Ludhiana

Ludhiana, Amid reports about the BJP hardening its stand towards its coalition partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is camping at Doraha, 24 km from Ludhiana, where a five-day training camp of the Sangh is being held.

This is Bhagwat’s second visit to Punjab in the recent past. Earlier, he had visited Mansa where a similar training camp was organised for RSS workers of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

Ever since the BJP has come to the power at the Centre, the party leadership in Punjab has started taking up various issues of concern forcefully with the SAD.

As many as 32 functionaries of RSS from across the country had come to take part in the Sangh deliberations going on at Vanasthali Jain Mandir here. Wednesday was the fourth day of the deliberations wherein several crucial issues concerning the state were discussed.

The RSS functionaries on Wednesday discussed the political in Punjab, besides the flood situation in the state. It has been learnt that Sangh also discussed measures to strengthen the BJP in the state. An insider said, “An aggressive membership drive would be started, specially in urban areas of the state, where it would be ensured that BJP gets maximum support”.

Though Bhagwat did not talk to the mediapersons, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, Dr Manmohan Vaidya, said that the membership of the Sangh was increasing by leaps and bounds throughout the country.

Vaidya said that the Sangh had been using the Internet to increase its membership. The move has started showing results, with almost 2,000 members joining the Sangh fold online every month.

Vaidya said that there are at least 10,000 IT professionals who have joined RSS as members so far and the number is ever increasing.

‘Sangh website a hit’

“Our website has attracted a large number of people. We are getting several requests for membership every day. In 2012, there were 2,000 requests on an average every month that increased to 2,500 in 2013. This year, in August alone we received 13,000 requests for membership through website,” said Vaidya who was also present during the meeting at Doraha.

Asked as to what will be the role of the RSS vis-a-vis the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Vaidya said, “The role of the RSS was creating awareness and bringing maximum votes for a nationalist government. Now it is the responsibility of new government to work for the country”.