Following the clarion call by Muslim league for a separate nationhood for Muslims, opposition within the Congress party for showing religious tolerance towards Muslims gained momentum under leaders like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. These people called Mahatma a traitor of Hindus even though Mahatama practised more Hindu rituals than any of these people together. They could not digest their ideological differences getting vetoed on every occasion due to the majoritarian moderate views on Muslims and their equal rights in Independent India. Solong as Mahatma was at the helms of affairs their design could not be imposed.When India attained Independence, Mahatma called for the dissolution of the party because the goal of freedom has been achieved and no one should appropriate the sacrifices for personal gains. This idea could come only from Mahatma - otherwise Einstein could not have observed that centuries later people will refuse to believe that such a man walked on this earth all flesh and blood.Such was the self less sacrifice of this man that he chose to have an option that could stop from gross politicisation of immense sacrifices by freedom fighters for the power of office. But there was a lurking danger. With such an option, the moderates would have lost all their hold and in the immediate aftermath of partition which saw butchering of Hindus in Pakistan who were fleeing for life and retaliatory strikes in Champaran and West Bengal saw innocent Muslims being killed much to the pain of Mahatma.

This prompted a rethink on all moderate Congressmen who prevailed upon Bapu not to insist on the dismantling of the party to fight the extremiest elements from within. Mahatma knew the diabolical plans of these extremist groups and annointed Nehru as his chosen sucessor. Patel, a fellow Gujarati and a barrister to boot, was sidelined for his known extremist views of Hindutva. Babu Rajendra Prasad and Patel were fighting with Nehru over building of Somnath temple using state funds which Nehru vetoed but which was done through contributions and donations.

Extremists knew that unless Gandhi is eliminated who was revered across the nation, their plans of Hindu Rashtra could not be implemented. All of us know that HinduMaha sabha planned and assasinated Mahatma through one of RSS leaders Naturam Vinayak Godse. Veer Savarkar was charged for murder andwas acquitted for insufficient evidence to link him to the murder.RSS was banned. Guruji Golwalkar while serving a sentence in Prison used his clout with Patel to get the ban lifted and gave undertaking that theywillmerge with Congress party and will remain a cultural organisation.  They did neither and always maitained their dreams of Akand Bharat. Even today, National flag is not unfurled atRSS head quarters atNagpur and their flag is hoisted on Vijaya Dasami Day - as a mark of respect to their founding fathers -Chitbavan Brahmins fromMaharashtra.

Shyama PrasadMukerjee was one such leader who parted company with Nehru to form the Jana Sangh. It is said he gave his life fasting in Gandhian style against special status accorded to the state of J & K. There after Dheen Dayal Upadhyaya, Nanaji Deshmuch, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LalKrishna Advani were to emerge tall leaders from the Hindutva stable.

The original right wing Party in Indian political scene was formed by C Rajagopalachari, the conscience keeper of Gandhi. Togehter with Communits on the left, Rajaji was fighting the hegemony of Congress in Indian political arena. The charisma of Nehru did not allow them to become a viable national alternative. But they were not believers in Hindutva and majaritariansim

Not until Nehru was alive, these elements could sense to the centres of power. Following his untimely death, and a sudden passing away of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Congress party chose Indira Gandhi to succeed Shastri against the much seasoned Morarji Desai.  Indira Gandhi was chosen for her charisma and the party thought that she could be controlled by the leadership.Indira was to challenge this control and the 1967 split happened.

Without eloboratingmuch, Indira stood guard against the majaritarian tendencies of the right wing elements. Her unseating by a judge of Allhabad High court on flimsy grounds, and her subsequent declaration of emergency, resulted in the unanimous unity of all disgruntled elements right left and centre and thus was born Janatha Party consisting of Congress(O), Janasangh, Socialists and Praja Socialists. IT was the untiring effort of Lok Nayak JP Narayan, these elements united and defeated Congress in 1977 when Indira herself was defeated.

The Jansangh elements were active within the party to sabotage at the right time.When Chauduri Charan Singh allied with Indira to fulfill his ambition of becoming Prime Minister, Jansanghis were called to be expelled for dual membership of both the party and RSS. Socialist leader George Fernandez of Rail strike 1972 fame was the leading votary of this brigade. It is another matter that George was to be NDAconvener under Atal Bihari Vajpayee much later. Indira staged a remarkable comeback.

What happened thereafter let us analyse in the next blog