Rahul goes to villages only at poll time: BJP

Chastened by the RSS' cryptic commendation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's efforts to win over Dalits, the BJP on Monday clarified that nobody would object to a leader's concern for the depressed classes unless it did become manifest only when elections were round the corner.

As far as Rahul Gandhi's visits to Dalit household goes, there should not be any problem if such efforts are made out of genuine concern for the depressed classes. Criticisms ensue because the affection becomes manifest only when elections are round the corner", senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters.

The former BJP president's statement comes in the wake of RSS leader Mohan Vaidya's recent comment that there was "nothing wrong" in Rahul's mingling with Dalits residing in villages.

Vaidya's comments were seen as a rebuke from the parent body to its political offshoot, BJP, which had earlier dismissed Rahul's visit to rural households as a "farce".

Joshi also asserted that the crisis being faced by the BJP will be resolved "soon", saying, "It is like a seasonal flu, the virus has been taken care of. Only symptoms like cough and cold are persisting. They too will subside soon."