RSS has a new pointsman for BJP, Suresh Soni replaced

BHOPAL: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pointsman and second-in-command Suresh Soni was on Monday evening relieved from his responsibilities as Sahkaryavah of the organisation.

Soni is being succeeded by RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal who will be the new contact man between the organisation and the BJP government. If Amit Shah was the BJP's face in Uttar Pradesh during the Lok Sabha polls, an intellectual Krishna Gopal was the RSS' strategy man there. He was also given the charge of Uttarakhand before the April-May general elections. BJP excelled in both the states.

As news spread of Soni's removal, the obvious question being asked here was whether he has been relieved for his alleged connection in the multi-crore Vyapam Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam. Over the past one year, Suresh Soni has been constantly hitting the news after his name allegedly surfaced in the statements of the accused in the Vyapam (MPPEB) scam.

Sources in the organisation said that Vyapam may not be the sole reason for his removal but certainly is one of the causes because Soni's name raised during the investigations by the state Special Task Force has resulted in much embarrassment for the RSS.

In the early part of the year, Suresh Soni's name was allegedly mentioned by two scam accused during interrogation. In the statements recorded, the accused persons OP Shukla and Mihir Kumar reportedly told the STF about a recommendation letter from former RSS chief Sudarshan which was handed over by ""Soniji"". However, the first name of ""Soniji"" was not mentioned in the memorandums and statements recorded in November 2013. The documents were submitted to the High Court but got leaked from there.

Sources also said that there was a lot of resentment within the national and state BJP over Suresh Soni's style of functioning. While LK Advani has repeated opposed Soni's increasing power and influence in the national scene, in Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was displeased with the RSS points man's interference in state party matters. Union minister Uma Bharati's ouster from the BJP in December 2005 is also attributed to Suresh Soni. Sources said that the number of complaints against Soni's domination was rising before RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Meanwhile, the formation of a Union government headed by the BJP also called for suitable changes within the RSS.

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