BENGALURU: The Congress government seems to be moving towards banning Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities on government and public properties, including schools and colleges, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asking Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to look at a request sent to him by RDPR and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge.
The move has stoked a controversy as the chief minister has acted on the representation given by Priyank Kharge, son of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, on October 4. On Priyank’s letter, the CM has written to the chief secretary “to review and take necessary action with immediate effect”.
The move comes at a time when RSS is celebrating its centenary year, creating ripples within RSS and BJP. On Sunday, BJP workers and leaders took out a ‘path sanchalana’ in Bengaluru to protest against CM’s move.
Leaders, including state BJP president BY Vijayendra, hit back at Priyank, saying he does not know the contributions of RSS to the country and that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s had recognised the organisation. “Over the years, Congress governments at the Centre have banned RSS, but later lifted such orders. After the Sino-Indian war in 1962, RSS was allowed to take part in the Republic Day parade in 1963,” he said.
“Priyank could be eyeing the chief minister’s post and that is why he has written to the CM to score brownie points,” he taunted.
RSS is Taliban of India, says Congress MLC Hariprasad
“Priyank is better off focusing on developing Kalyan-Karnataka, which is academically backward. His father has stated that around 35,000 posts of teachers are yet to be filled in the region,” Vijayendra said.
Priyank retorted, saying RSS is instilling negative sentiments in the minds of children and youth on the country’s unity and Constitutional values. “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 posted on ‘X’ on Sunday.
“In the interest of children, youth, public and well-being of 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 the CM.
Senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad backed Priyank, saying, “RSS has done the damage it ought to do in a hundred years. Incidents of hurling a shoe at the CJI, lynching of a Valmiki community youth in Uttar Pradesh and suicide of an IPS officer in Haryana as he was forbidden entry into a Hindu temple are all a result of RSS ideology. It’s a Taliban of India as it’s an unregistered organisation holding its ‘shakas’, which are illegal meetings indulging in underground activities.”
He said, “We have no objection if RSS gets prior permission from the police to hold its meetings. For now, its activities will be banned and later the organisation will be banned. We had assured the people in our manifesto ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections that Bajrang Dal would be banned. I don’t know why the government has not acted on it yet.”
He wondered how the police let RSS conduct its ‘shakas’ without permission, while not allowing other outfits to hold meetings.
