NAGPUR: Former president Pranab Mukherjee is set address members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), studying to qualify as ‘pracharaks’ on June 7 in Nagpur.
According to the New Indian Express reports, the former President accepted the invitation to be a chief guest at the valedictory function of RSS’s third-year camp, which is being attended by around 800 people aged below 45 years from all over the country.
Mukherjee, 82, who has a long association with the Congress throughout his political career has also had a good rapport with RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat despite the RSS’s links with the BJP.
“Mukherjee always had cordial relations with the RSS. During his meeting with Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat at Rashtrapati Bhavan last year he had expressed a desire to have a close look at the RSS work after stepping down as President. Accordingly, an invitation was sent to him and he has accepted it,” Pramod Bapat, Kshetriya Prachar Pramukh of the RSS told the New Indian Express.
“Being an apolitical organization the RSS always strives to invite prominent people from all walks of life on such occasions. Politics is a part of social life and hence politicians are invited to such functions occasionally. In that sense nobody is ‘untouchable’ to the RSS,” he added.