Nitish Should Attend A RSS Meeting, Responds BJP Over Sangh Jab

New Delhi: Hitting back at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has called for a 'Sangh-mukt' (Sangh-free) country "to save democracy", BJP on Sunday said critics of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS should at least attend its 'shakha' or a daily meeting to clear their "misconceptions".

The party made it clear that it was unfazed by efforts to form a united front to counter it and said such attempts to stop the Modi government "from working for the development of the country and for the poor will not succeed".

BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma launched a scathing attack on the Nitish government in Bihar, saying the state is back to "jungle raj" days.

He said that everyone was aware of JD(U) leader's national ambitions. Taking a dig at the Congress, Mr Sharma asked party President Sonia Gandhi to make it clear if Rahul Gandhi will lead such a front or will he be just part of it.

"Nitish Kumar has called for an RSS-free India. You have stayed with people from Sangh for long. You have had a long coalition with BJP. You have been participating in BJP programme also. But you have called for a Sangh-free India. It is better you learn and understand the Sangh a little bit," he said.

"And for that visiting the Shakha of the Sangh is the best. Those who oppose the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the country should first at least visit its 'shakha' (meeting)," Mr Sharma said.

Mr Kumar's JD(U) had snapped its 17-year-old alliance with BJP in 2013 as it was opposed to naming Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general election.