Mumbai, Aug 16 (IANS) As political slugfest around the RSS and its ideology continues to stir debate between the BJP and opposition parties, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey has called for restraint and statesmanship from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially on ‘national festivals’.

Speaking to IANS, Dubey said that national festivals like August 15 and January 26 should be above politics, and that the Prime Minister should use such platforms to deliver a message of unity, inclusiveness, and harmony.

“The Prime Minister’s words must carry dignity because he represents the entire nation, not just one party. The opposition too is part of the country. When he speaks from the BJP platform, he is a party leader—but when addressing the nation from the Red Fort, he is the Prime Minister of India. Such moments should not be politicised,” Dubey said.

He emphasised that there are enough days in a year for political campaigning, but national festivals should be reserved for unifying messages, not political agendas.

Reacting to the PM’s Independence Day speech, Dubey noted that the opposition listened closely, including to praise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“Nobody objects to that. The Prime Minister has been associated with the RSS, so naturally, he will praise it. The RSS itself claims to be a social and cultural, not political, organisation,” Dubey said.

However, he expressed concern that while the PM praises RSS, he often remains silent on real issues affecting common people.

“People voted for ‘Achhe Din’, but even today, we have bad roads, water and electricity problems. The core issues remain unresolved.”

Taking a dig at PM Modi’s GST reform promises, Dubey added: “He’s been PM for 11 years now, and has made many big promises—bringing black money back from abroad, creating jobs, taking back PoK—none of which has been fulfilled. He speaks well, but the impact of those words is missing on the ground. Even GST reforms are still unclear. Let’s wait till Diwali and see what happens.”

Dubey urged the Prime Minister to focus on governance and delivery, rather than “using national platforms for political narratives”.

–IANS

brt/pgh