RSS leader suspects Narendra Modi behind dissent against Nitin Gadkari

Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader MG Vaidya has alleged that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was behind the campaign against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari.

According to television reports, Vaidya in his blog on Sunday wrote: "The roots of the campaign against Nitin Gadkari have to be in Gujarat because when Ram Jethmalani demanded Gadkari's resignation, he also demanded that Narendra Modi be made the prime-ministerial candidate of the party".

"Modi himself seems to have strong prime ministerial ambitions because LK Advani and Nitin Gadkari have already said that they are not in the race for the PM. But Narendra Modi has still not said anything on this issue," he added

Vaidya said it was important that the BJP appear united and also that "there is no need to deliberate over the PM candidate for 2014 now in 2012."

Vaidya in his blog also wrote: "Ram Jethmalani should not have expressed his displeasure against Nitin Gadkari publicly. Any BJP member or MP can feel that Nitin Gadkari should resign, but they should raise this issue on the party platform.

Earlier, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani and his son Mahesh had said Gadkari should immediately step down from his post as the charges against him were damaging the party.

He claimed to have the support of other party leaders like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha.

"I have been in touch with Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha. We seem to be on the same wavelength. But I don't presume to predict how they are going to act today or tomorrow. But we four of us are clearly of the opinion that a resignation at this time from the party president is imminently called for," Jethmalani had said.