K.S. Sudershan has been treading a minefield of controversies ever since he tookover as RSS sarsanghchalak last March. Starting with his suggestion to Indianise Islam andChristianity to the "bomb theory" on the Babri Masjid demolition, almost all hisstatements evoked varied reactions ranging from anger to sniggers. His latest salvoagainst the prime minister's men—Brajesh Mishra, N.K. Singh and foster son-in-lawRanjan Bhattacharya—was seen as a direct attack on Atal Behari Vajpayee. Alreadyknee-deep in the Tehelka crisis, the PMO's public denial forced Sudershan to retract hischarge about the "extra-constitutional authority" in the prime minister's house.His retraction was preceded by an all-out criticism from within the rank andfile—probably the first time in the history of RSS that the sarsanghchalak came undercriticism from his own swayamsevaks.
Even though resentment exists in the RSS about Vajpayee's style of functioning, it wasfelt that criticising the government at an hour of crisis would mean helping the Congressand the communists. However, Sudershan sticks to his stand that "more competent"people should be inducted in the PMO. The RSS sarsanghchalak spoke to Rajesh Joshi.