Was Narendra Modi snubbed by RSS leaders?

Despite the presence of top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders in Gujarat over the last two days to discuss the future strategy of the Sangh Parivar, no meeting took place between them and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, fuelling speculation that all is not well.

Nearly 60 senior RSS functionaries met at Kayavarohan near Vadodara on September 8 and 9 at a crucial meeting -- which is held only once in two to three years -- and discussed various issues, including the 2014 general elections, RSS sources said.

RSS leaders, including Mohan Bhagwat and others, spent two days at Kayavarohan, which is nearly 100 km from the state capital of Gandhinagar, but no meeting was held between Modi and them, sources said.

RSS Gujarat prachar pramukh (media head) Pradeep Jain said, "This was totally a RSS function for which only the top leadership of the organisation was invited. Nobody else was invited."

"There was a request for a meeting from the side of the chief minister but it was politely denied," RSS sources said.

Modi, of late, is increasingly facing heat from Sangh Parivar outfits. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad had issued statements criticising the Modi government for its handling of the 2002 riots cases.

RSS is also not happy with Modi as he had tried to stall the parent organisation's effort to strike a compromise between him and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

Top RSS functionary Suresh Soni, in a secret operation, had come to Ahmedabad before Patel announced the formation of his own party.

Soni held a series of meetings with Patel and Modi separately and tried to persuade them to strike a compromise, but the attempt did not succeed, sources said.