CHIEF Justice of India B R Gavai’s mother and political activist Kamaltai Gavai will be the chief guest at an RSS event linked to Vijayadashami celebrations, in Maharashtra’s Amravati, on October 5.
This is three days after the Sangh will hold its annual Vijayadashmi event at its headquarters in Nagpur, which this year also coincides with the centennial ceremony of the Sangh’s formation.
Confirming that Kamaltai would attend the event, the CJI’s brother and a Republican Party of India (RPI) leader, Dr Rajendra Gavai, said: “The Gavai family has always maintained relationships that go beyond political boundaries, relationships that are above party lines.”
Attempts to reach Kamaltai, a former school teacher, were not successful.
RSS sources noted that Kamaltai is being invited in her personal capacity as an activist as well as for being the wife of the late Ramakrishna Gavai, the former governor of Maharashtra fondly referred to as ‘Dadasaheb Gavai’.
Officials of the RSS communication wing Vishwa Samvad Kendra told The Indian Express that they had taken Kamaltai’s consent before extending the invite, and “even asked how her name should appear on the invitation card”. “The programme is in Amravati. It has nothing to do with the Nagpur event… The publicity department swayamsevaks in Amravati went to them (the Gavais), gave an official invitation, and they accepted it.”
Speaking to the media Monday, Rajendra Gavai said: “The Sangh’s programme is being held in Amravati, and Aai Saheb (mother) has received and accepted the invitation. It is important to note that in the past, leaders like B D Khobragade, a barrister and former Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and Dadasaheb Gavai have attended the Sangh’s Vijayadashmi events in Nagpur. Hence, even our mother accepted the invite.”
On questions being raised about the CJI’s mother attending a Sangh event, Rajendra said: “My brother holds a very important position today, and that is why some opponents do not like it. They continue to spread baseless things about our family. We visit temples, churches, and mosques with equal respect, but opponents deliberately speak ill and make false remarks about us.”
He further said that their father had “cordial relations with leaders across the spectrum, from Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Indira Gandhi”. “He also shared a brotherly bond with Vidarbha’s leader Gangadhar Fadnavis. Yet, their ideology always remained distinct and separate. Attending someone’s function does not mean one’s ideology changes. That is absolutely not the case. In fact, I believe people should attend each other’s events as a matter of respect and goodwill.”
Rajendra added that the Congress too has been appreciative of them as a family. “Indira Gandhi promised to make Dadasaheb the Chief Minister if he agreed to join the Congress then… I was personally offered a Lok Sabha ticket by Sonia Gandhi in 2009 and 2014, and by Mallikarjun Kharge in 2019, to contest on the Congress symbol.”
The Gavai family, however, “has never run after power”, Rajendra said. “If power had been our goal, Dadasaheb could easily have held high positions, and so could I. But our commitment has always been to the party and, above all, to our ideals and ideology. Our ideology is firm. But our friendships will remain.”