Kejriwal Asks RSS Chief: Does Modi Defy BJP’s Age Retirement Rule?

New Delhi:Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the fulcrum of the entire AAP, on Sunday carved out yet another political strategy demanding answers from the RSS for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions, in an apparent bid to diminish his stature by implying that the parent Hindutva organisation was the master which should keep its child in control.

Mr Kejriwal, who was addressing his first “Janata ki Adalat” public meeting at Jantar Mantar following his resignation as Delhi chief minister, asked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat if the BJP’s rule on the age of retirement would apply to Mr Modi as it did for Lal Krishna Advani.

“Has the son become so big now that he is showing an attitude to his mother?” the AAP supremo asked, while demanding five answers from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief. The questions he asked were political softballs, but the implication of bringing Mr Bhagwat into his new political narrative was new and unusual.

Mr Kejriwal wanted to know if the RSS agreed with the BJP’s politics of using the Central investigative agencies to break up parties and topple Opposition governments, and inducting “corrupt” leaders into its fold.

In another question, the AAP supremo asked Mr Bhagwat how he felt when BJP president J.P. Nadda said his party did not need the RSS, which is the saffron party’s ideological mentor. He further questioned if the RSS chief was satisfied with the BJP’s current politics.

“The RSS and the BJP had made the rule that every leader would retire when they reached 75 years of age. Under this rule, senior leaders like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalraj Mishra and others were retired. Now, (home minister) Amit Shah says this rule does not apply to Modi ji,” Mr Kejriwal said.

The former chief minister also said he resigned because he was hurt by the corruption allegations against him and added he had only earned respect, not money, in the past 10 years. He also asked the assembled crowd if they thought he was a “thief” or those who sent him to jail were “thieves”. Mr Kejriwal said the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls were an “agni pariksha” (trial by fire for him and urged people not to vote for him if they thought he was dishonest.

The AAP supremo added he would move out of the chief minister’s official residence after the “shraddha” period during Navratri and go live among the people, who had been offering him accommodation.

Jantar Mantar was awash with the AAP’s signature blue and yellow colours as hundreds of supporters thronged the site with banners that declared Mr Kejriwal as “one of us”, affirming their unwavering belief in his innocence. As Mr Kejriwal took the stage, the site echoed with slogans of “Na rukega, na jhukega…” while some AAP supporters held up posters bearing messages such as “Hamare Kejriwal imaandar hai”.