Bye, bye ghar wapsi? RSS dumps Rajeshwar Singh after Modi meet

He may blame diabetes and ill health for his departure from the RSS, but pracharak and the force behind the body’s ghar wapsi programmes in western Uttar Pradesh, Rajeshwar Singh, has reportedly been sent on indefinite leave after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly raised objections over the fact that his ‘reconversion’ stunts were derailing the government’s development agenda. Singh, who is also the convenor of the Dharm Jagran Samanway Samiti, has reportedly gone on leave for a few months after allegedly being told to lie low until the controversy over his ghar wapsi programme in Agra blows over, reported the Indian Express. The RSS has also ruled out replacing 55-year-old Singh as the man in charge of the organisation’s activities in western UP and Uttarakhand. The pracharak had blamed ill health for his departure following the controversy and said he will undergo treatment until the organisation decides his next role in June. [caption id=“attachment_2026485” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Singh is presently on leave. Screengrab from video[/caption] However, Sangh Parivar sources told The Economic Times that Singh had been asked to stay out of the spotlight after the Prime Minister met with RSS leaders and “expressed his annoyance” over Singh’s campaign in which 300 Muslims had been re-converted to Hinduism in a ceremony organised in Agra. Singh’s Agra campaign, however, proved to be a problem for the Modi government with the Opposition stalling both houses of Parliament over the issue during the Winter session, preventing it from passing any legislation. Among the bills that were stalled as a result included bills to amend legislation on insurance and land acquisition, for which the government has since passed ordinances. After the campaign, Singh had planned another massive re-conversion drive in Aligarh but had his plans were shelved at the last minute. The RSS pracharak claims to have conducted ghar wapsi of over 3,00,000 people since 1996 and has been at the forefront of the campaign in the western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand regions. In a  Times of India report, Singh said claimed his organisation spent Rs 50 lakh every month on converting an average 1,000 families. The RSS pracharak had also claimed that by 2021 religions like Christianity and Islam are removed from the country. “Just wait and watch. 31 December 2021 is the last for Christianity and Islam in this country,” Singh had said . A recent survey has also shown that people have begun to raise doubts about whether fringe right wing groups will derail the government’s development agenda. It also prompted questions on whether Modi, who had been elected on the promise of ensuring economic development, was complicit in such activities by not speaking out publicly against them.  Given the furore over events like ghar wapsi, it isn’t too much of a surprise that the BJP government spoke to the RSS about reining in Singh for now even as it attempts to shift the focus to creating a national anti-conversion bill. But while Singh may be down for now, it doesn’t mean he’s out just yet. “…the Sangh is not strong all the time. They may not want me now, but they may want me tomorrow,” Singh told The Economic Times.