Family matters not discussed in public: RSS on Nadda's remarks

New Delhi: Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Sunil Ambekar on Wednesday termed BJP president J P Nadda's remarks that the saffron party had grown from relying on the RSS to becoming self-sufficient, as a family matter.

Asked if Nadda's comments caused a rift between the BJP and the Sangh, Ambekar, who is RSS' Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, said, "We solve family matters like family matters. We don't discuss such issues on public platforms".

In a media interview in May, Nadda said the BJP has grown from the time it needed the RSS and is now "saksham" (capable) and runs its own affairs. The RSS, he had said, is an ideological front and does its own work.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai, Ambekar said that even if people join the Sangh thinking about political gains, they automatically start doing good work due to their association with the organisation.

Ambekar said many people daily come to RSS wanting to do good work. Several from the IT sector also come to RSS as they feel the need to serve others.

To a query on India's strengths and weaknesses in the last 10 years, Ambekar said the world now recognises India's power and also potential in sectors like science and economy.

"Earlier, people used to think that there is no future in this country. Now, the feeling is that there is a strong possibility to rise, and Bharat has the potential," Ambekar said.

"However, there are many challenges at the societal level. Social disparity and some social fault lines are still a challenge. We need to work a lot for social harmony," he said.