Citing Sardar Patel's letter, Kharge seeks RSS ban; BJP responds
What's the story
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), likening its ideology to "poison." He cited Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Home Minister and a key figure in the freedom movement, who he said had banned government employees from participating in RSS activities. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government lifted this ban in 2024.
Ban reinstatement
Kharge demands reinstatement of ban
Kharge demanded the reinstatement of the ban, saying, "Sardar Patel also said that one should not work for the RSS while in government service." "He had banned government employees from participating in the activities of the RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami, which the Modi government lifted on July 9, 2024. We demand that this ban be reinstated," said Kharge.
Justification
Kharge cites letter where Patel accused RSS
Kharge justified the ban on the RSS by quoting a letter written by Patel, which alleged that the organization celebrated Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. "The RSS celebrated Gandhiji's death and distributed sweets," he quoted Patel as saying in his February 4, 1948 letter to Syama Prasad Mukherjee. "While writing this letter to Mukherjee, he said, 'The report proves the atmosphere created in the country due to the activities of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha is what led to Gandhiji's assassination."
Counter-accusation
BJP responds to Congress attack
Responding to the claims, the BJP accused the Congress of ignoring Patel's contributions for over five decades. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said they are now using his name to oppose RSS. "INC is not the Indian National Congress. It stands for Indian Nazi Congress. Despite all their conspiracies, the court lifted the ban on the RSS. But the Congress is so intolerant that they stand with the rioters of PFI, SDPI, and MIM but spew venom against RSS," he said.