BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked the Chief Secretary to review IT and BT, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge's request to ban Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities in government institutions and public premises, including schools and colleges.
The move stoked the controversy as CM has acted upon the representation submitted to him by his cabinet colleague Priyank, son of the AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, on October 4. On Priyank's proposal, the CM wrote to the Chief Secretary "to review and take necessary action with immediate effect".
At a time when the RSS is commemorating the centenary year of its inception and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving due recognition to RSS, the BJP's parent of Hindutva ideology, the Congress gave enough indication of taking on it on the occasion. The timing of the release of Priyank's letter to CM created ripples as the RSS including the BJP's ranks and files, carried out 'path sanchala' in Bengaluru on Sunday.
BJP leaders, including B Y Vijayendra hit back at Priyank, saying that the latter does not know about the RSS' contribution to the country, despite the fact that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had also recognised. "The Congress governments at the Centre have banned the RSS organisation at times, but have lifted the same. After the Sino-Indian war in 1962 the RSS was allowed to take part in the Republic Day parade in 1963", he remarked.
"Priyank might be eyeing the chief minister post which was why he wrote to CM in order to score brownie points (against his rivals within Congress). Better he focus on the development of the Kalyan Karnataka region, which was academically backward, as his father Mallikarjuna Kharge had also stated that about 35,000 teachers' posts are yet to be filled by the government", he taunted.
Priyank, defending his claim, alleged that the RSS has indulged in instilling negative sentiments in the minds of children and young people about the country's unity and the values of the Constitution.
"When divisive forces raise their heads and toss the values of the Constitution to the winds, it is the Constitution itself that gives us the power and authority to suppress them. It is due to the influence of the fundamentalist ideology propagated by the RSS that an atmosphere has been created today where shoes are thrown at the Chief Justice of India, and a mindset of insulting Baba Saheb Ambedkar has grown. I have written to the Chief Minister requesting him to ban the activities of the RSS in all government public places with the aim of preventing the RSS's attempts to create negative impacts on children and the youth community, and to uphold the ideals of the Constitution- unity, equality, and integrity", Priyank said in a post on 'X' on Sunday.
"In the interest of children, youth, public and the well-being of the society, I request you to ban all activities conducted by the RSS organisation in the name of a 'shakha', Sanghik or Baithak in government schools and government-aided schools and any government places including grounds, parks, temples of the Muzrai Department, archaeological sites, departmental places", read his letter to CM.
Senior leader and MLC B K Hariprasad, a permanent invitee to CWC, backed Priyank. "The RSS had done the damage that it ought to do in a hundred years. The incidents of shoe hurling at CJI, the lynching of a Valmiki community youth in Uttar Pradesh and the suicide of an IPS officer in Haryana as he was forbidden entry in to a Hindu temple were all a result of the RSS ideology. It's a Taliban of India as it's an unregistered organisation holding its 'shakas'-the meetings illegally and indulged in underground activities", he charged.
"We have no objection if RSS gets prior permission from the police to hold its meetings. For now, its activities will be banned, and next comes banning the organisation. We have assured the banning of Bajrang Dal in our manifesto (2023 assembly polls), but don't know why the government has not taken a call in this regard as yet", he told reporters. He expressed concerns about how the police let the RSS conduct its 'shakas '- meetings without permission, while other outfits like it were not allowed.
