KOLKATA: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has seen a sharp growth in West Bengal in the last few years, a senior RSS leader claimed today.
"The number of RSS 'shakas' (daily meetings at local level) in entire Bengal area has gone up to 1,279 till February 2018 from 750 in 2013," RSS general secretary (South Bengal) Jishnu Basu said.
In a bid to "combat rising radicalism and fundamentalism" in West Bengal, the RSS is focusing on increasing its strength and presence here, said a senior RSS functionary.
According to Basu, the RSS started gaining significance in West Bengal in 2013 during the celebration of Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary.
Since then, the organisation has been growing in the state, as more and more people are getting connected with it, he said.
"Apart from 'Shakas', there has also been an increase in weekly meetings and monthly meetings," he said.