RSS no ISI organisation; band of patriots: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: RSS is no ISI but a band of patriots, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said as he hit out at the Congress for “behaving like a fish without water after being out of power”.

Asking Congress to indulge in politics within the limits of decency, the former BJP chief said the opposition was trying to portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “villain”.  “I am a complete RSS worker.

I have done struggle...I left studies .. went to jail for nation's cause, PM has been pracharak of RSS....We are patriots... Is it a violation of Constitution or criminal procedure code if someone is of RSS,” Gadkari fumed after Congress leader and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar accused BJP of doing divisive politics in the country at the instance of RSS.

“RSS koi ISI organisation hai kya? (Is RSS an organisation like ISI?)...We take pride in it. Congress is behaving like a fish without water after being out of power,” the senior BJP leader said.

Both Gadkari and Ashwani were speaking at the programme ‘Agenda Aaj Tak: Vikas ka Express Way' here.  Gadkari said the opposition was all out trying to portray the PM as a “villain” to fulfil their political aspirations.  

He said the Congress insulted the entire judicial system of the nation when its vice-president alleged that the court order in the National Herald case was due to pressure from PM.  

Asking to define the rationale behind stalling Parliament over National Herald case, Gadkari said the court decision was independent and politics should not stoop to such a level where PM is being dragged into the controversy.

“Indulge in politics within the limits of decency...Allow Parliament to run,” he said, adding that the NDA government at the Centre was working for all sections of the society without any discrimination.

“But the opposition is instilling fear among Muslims, minorities and Dalits to pursue its policy of appeasement.  BJP has been targeted for incidents like Dadri and killing of a writer in Karnataka despite the fact that it is not in power in those states.

“Since we came to power we have not taken a single decision which was against any community or religion. PM Modi is working to make life better of all Indians and I urge all political parties to cooperate with us in pursing policies of progress and development,” he said.

Challenging the opposition to tell as to when the ruling party insulted the minority or anyone in the country, Gadkari said, “They tear bill in our names. They are creating a fear that Muslims are under threat in the country. There is no vote bank politics without this. Opposition is all out to project Modi as villain.”

“From the very first day of NDA taking reins of the nation, Congress is charging us and putting us in the docks...blaming us for distorting the environment of the country ...Which kind of politics is this?” he asked.  

Retorting to Ashwani's comments on irresponsible statements by some BJP leaders, he said individual statements cannot be attributed to the BJP government or the party, and the leaders have already given clarifications on that.  Attacking Congress, Gadkari said BJP was a democratic party unlike Congress which has been a party of “mother-son” and “worked like a private limited company with the ownership in the hands of a few people”.

He said Congress is like a proprietor with one owner where others follow the command whereas BJP is like a public limited company with a cooperative structure.  “Our party is not a private limited party...it is not the party of mother-son and father-son. It is a democratic party ... people in party who give different statements and party does not agree with it. Government doesn't accept their views,” he said.

On Ashwani's allegations that BJP has caused damage to the social fabric of the nation and incidents like blackening the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni by Shiv Sena have become common, Gadkari said BJP had condemned the incident.  

Asking opposition to cooperate for national development, Gadkari said the ruling party is flexible to hold talks to the opposition and request them to allow running of Parliament.  Congress leaders should take recourse to law in the National Herald case, he said and added that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had once said that if need be he can sell his house for the cause of the paper.

He refuted allegations that Enforcement Directorate or anyone had anything to do with the case and questioned the rationale behind commercial use of the property which was given for running newspaper.

“It was granted land for running media....Our Foreign Ministry has a office there...It gives Rs 8 lakh rent for that...Property was given for media... The Trust was converted into company and ownership ... ,” he said.