RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived here today on a 10-day-long tour of Bihar with an aim to expand the organisation's base in the state. Bhagwat is scheduled to interact with Swayamsevaks in Muzaffarpur and Patna districts during the stay. "The Sarsanghchalak reached here in the afternoon. He will spend the night at a local branch of the RSS and leave for Muzaffarpur tomorrow.
He will return to Patna on February 10 and stay till February 15 before leaving for Varanasi", RSS regional secretary Mohan Singh told PTI about his programme. Singh did not divulge what were on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief's agenda though sources in the Sangh said Bhagwat would aim to expand the organization's base in Bihar with emphasis on issues like cow protection and farmers' distress. Meanwhile, the opposition RJD-Congress combine alleged that Bhagwat's tour underscored Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's capitulation before the BJP of which the RSS is the parent body. "Bhagwat will ensure that an atmosphere is created in Bihar wherein Kumar, the JD(U) president, does not remain in a position to demand more than five seats for his party", RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha said. State Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri said "it is a travesty that Kumar, who used to speak about the need for Sangh-mukt Bharat, has now ended up working for a Sangh-yukt Bihar. The state has always been a challenge for the RSS' ideology. But, it appears Kumar's government will end up providing vital support that the Sangh Parivar needs for spreading its tentacles in Bihar". Significantly, Kumar had fought the 2015 assembly polls in alliance with the RJD and the Congress. During that election, Bhagwat's assertions on need to review reservation policy in government jobs was a significant issue which Kumar and Lalu Prasad had used to hilt to attack the saffron party. The "Mahagathbandhan" registered an emphatic victory, halting the BJP juggernaut which was set in motion with the 2014 Lok Sabha polls wherein the party had registered its best ever electoral performance riding on a strong wave in support of Narendra Modi. However, Kumar walked out of the Grand Alliance last year following corruption cases against Tejashi Yadav, his then deputy and son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. His later joined hands with BJP to form a coalition ministry in Bihar in July last year.
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