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Rajendra Singh isn't sick, won't be stepping down: RSS official

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Vidarbha Sahasanghchalak Vinayakrao Phatak has described as a figment of imagination reports that Sangh chief Rajendra Singh proposed to step down on grounds of ill-health.

"It is a story without an iota of truth," he said, adding that certain journalists have made RSS-baiting their hobby.

Phatak, the retired principal of a college in Nagpur, said the RSS generally does not bother even to contradict such reports. The organisation was marching from strength to strength, despite the attempts of its detractors, he claimed.

He said the naturopath mentioned in the report has denied that the RSS chief, popularly known as Rajjubhayya, was under his treatment.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Singh, who was on a periodic visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, left on Tuesday after a fortnight's stay.

The media reports had stated that Singh's proposed resignation came up for discussion at a top-level secret meeting. The media mentioned joint general secretary K Sudharshan as his possible successor, as the second-in-command general secretary H V Seshadri was also not keeping good health.

Singh had taken over as chief from the late Balasaheb Deoras in March 1994, when the latter was immobolised due to paralysis. It was first the time that the chief had nominated his successor.

UNI

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