Lok Sabha

heart

Keshav Kunj

Mohan Bhagwat

Prime Minister

Transport Minister

Congress

Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies

president

Debt Recovery Tribunal

Rajiv Gandhi

Communist Party of India

Communist Party

The tectonic political shift brought about by the Narendra Modi-led and RSS-guided victory for the BJP in the lastelection is likely to lead to another significant change. The RSS has begun work on constructing two 11-storied buildings on a 3-acre plot in theof New Delhi where its current Delhi headquartersis located. And the buzz is that the RSS will eventually move its national headquarters here from Nagpur. Portions of Keshav Kunj are already being dismantled – the change not at all visible from the outside.Sources said material saved from the old building will be used in the construction of the twin towers, which, it is reliably learnt, will retain the name. “Space in Delhi – over the years – was becoming a major problem for the party, its leaders, pracharaks and affiliates. The party has expanded in the last 15 years,” said a person well versed with the plan, which was shown in a power point presentation a fortnight ago to top RSS leaders, including. Currently, the RSS has a little over 6 million active members who operate its 50,000- plus morning shakhas across the country. Its operation in Delhi has assumed greater importance following the BJP’s stupendous victory in the 2014 polls.The twin towers, likely to cost around Rs 50 crore, will have accommodation for leaders, members, pracharaks, and also those who work for the RSS and currently operate from various offices located in Delhi. There will be spacious libraries full of books written by RSS leaders, both past and present; a new room for press conferences equipped with instant power point presentations; and a yoga room too. Around the twin towers, there will be space to grow organic fruits and vegetables and laboratories to develop ayurvedic medicines.Interestingly, organic vegetables currently being grown around the existing building for in-house consumption are also delivered to select leaders in Delhi, includingNarendra Modi andNitin Gadkari. Sources close to the RSS claimed that if required, the party could even rent out some floors to both government and private companies in the twin towers. But that decision will only be taken after a full estimate is presented to the top brass about the needs of the party affiliates, currently numbering close to 40.The leadership is aware that the construction of the twin towers could create unnecessary controversy, mainly because of RSS’s focus on no-frills existence. And that’s the reason why the construction of the twin towers is being kept an extremely low-key affair. The controversy courted by theparty when it had planned to shift into a swanky building close to the imposing Meridien Hotel in New Delhi is fresh in everybody’ memory. Eventually, the party remained at its government-sanctioned bungalow on Akbar Road near the Taj Mansingh Hotel and turned the building intoThe source said the decision to create the twin towers was taken three years ago by the RSS high command – with active encouragement coming from then BJPNitin Gadkari – but could not fructify because of a lingering court case with the state-owned(DRT) which had its office in the old building. Only recently, the DRT agreed to vacate Keshav Kunj, thus paving the way for the RSS to start construction. Architects for the twin towers are a secret so that the news does not leak out on the prized project, which political observers said will catapult the RSS into the leagues of powerful political parties with impressive offices.Besides their headquarters located in Lutyen’s Delhi, the Congress has the magnificentInstitute, and controls the Teen Murti Bhawan and its spacious and well-stocked Nehru Library. The(CPI) has Ajoy Bhawan near the city’s Fleet Street, while theof India (Marxist) has the imposing AKG Bhawan close to iconic Birla Mandir in the heart of the city.