After controversy, CJI Bhushan Gavai’s mother undecided on being chief guest at RSS event

After controversy surrounding her attendance at an RSS Vijayadasami celebration event, it is not yet decided if Kamala Gavai, mother of Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai and founder of Shri Dadasaheb Charitable Trust, will attend the event. “After the social media controversy, she is upset about it. She has not yet made up her mind about whether she will attend the event,” Dr. Rajendra Gavai, CJI’s brother and leader of RPI (Gavai), told The Hindu on Tuesday. He had earlier claimed that she had accepted the invite and that she will be present at the event.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had extended an invite to Ms. Kamala Gavai as the chief guest for its Vijayadasami celebration which will be held in Amravati on October 5, three days after the Vijayadasami celebration event in Nagpur. The programme is being held as part of the centenary celebration of the RSS.

Sangh local functionaries confirmed to The Hindu that they had invited Ms. Kamala Gavai and that she had confirmed her presence, after which the invitation cards were printed and distributed.

A controversy broke out around it after a letter went viral on social media. It was claimed that she declined the invite after criticism by Left wing leaders.

It was a strongly-worded letter, and it was claimed to be written by Ms. Kamala Gavai, in which the person denied that she had accepted the RSS’ invite. The letter had claimed that the name was printed without taking her permission, and that as a true Ambedkarite, she will not attend the event. When asked about the letter, Dr. Rajendra Gavai said, “I have not seen the letter properly. But it has no signature. So there is no reason to believe it,” he told The Hindu.

Good relations

He had earlier told reporters that the Gavai family had maintained good relations with everyone, and that the family distinguishes between personal relations and political relations. “R.S. Gavai had earlier attended the main event,” he said. R.S. Gavai, the CJI’s father, was a prominent Ambedkarite leader. Dr. Rajendra Gavai also claimed that some people were unhappy about his brother’s elevation to a senior position, and were hence spreading false information about the family. “My brother is on an important post where we don’t know if any other Buddhist will reach or not. Gavai family has kept good relations with everyone and has respected every other religion. We go to church, mosque, temples. But those who oppose the family say all kinds of wrong things about us,” he said.

Responding to the controversy, CPI(M) leader and Polit Bureau member Ashok Dhawale told The Hindu, “It is my very clear opinion that the original statement which she had made where she had said that I am an Ambedkarite, therefore I will not go for an RSS event. This was ascribed to her. I think that is a very correct stand to take. I was surprised to read the counter-statement by her son saying she was misquoted. What I genuinely feel is that the RSS and the BJP are the main proponents of Manusmruti in India. It was Babasaheb Ambedkar who burnt Manusmruti in Mahad, which was a revolutionary act. If anyone calls himself or herself an Ambedkarite, they can never go on an RSS or BJP platform, because it is a complete travesty of what Babsaheb Ambedkar stood for. It will be great if she maintains this stance, being the mother of the Chief Justice of India. This is a message that Maharashtra can stand up to this kind of politics.”