Government servants free to take part in RSS activities; BJP defends official order, Congress plans a showdown

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, July 22

A government order revoking an earlier ban on government servants’ participation in activities of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh on Monday opened a new front between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress as the Budget Session commenced.

The order of the department of personnel and training, dated July 9, recalls three previous orders that banned government servants from taking part in events of the BJP’s ideological organization, the RSS. These orders were dated November 30, 1966, July 25, 1970 and October 28, 1980.

While the Congress plans a showdown in Parliament on the issue, hammering its pitch that all institutions of the country and now the government are under the RSS control, the BJP defended the order.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya took to X on Monday to say the original ban order imposed by late prime minister Indira Gandhi was unconstitutional.

“The unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the RSS has been withdrawn by the Modi government. The original order shouldn’t have been passed in the first place,” said Malviya as the BJP set out to placate the RSS known to be cross with the ruling party for some time now.

Malviya said the ban was imposed because on November 7, 1966, there was a massive anti-cow-slaughter protest in Parliament. RSS-Jana Sangh mobilised support in lakhs and many died in police firing.

“On November 30, 1966, shaken by the RSS-Jana Sangh clout, Indira Gandhi banned government staff from joining the RSS. Besides, former prime minister Indira Gandhi herself reached out to the RSS in February 1977, offering to lift the ban she had imposed in November 1966, in exchange for their support for her election campaign,” the BJP leader said.

BJP sources said past Congress presidents themselves had ties with the RSS.

BJP leaders cite academic sources saying Sitaramayya attended some RSS meetings and events, and was close to former Sangh chief MS Golwalkar. They say even the Congress’s second chief after independence Purshottam Tandon advocated Hindu revivalism and cultural nationalism, as advocated by the RSS. Tandon was also a votary of UCC and Ram Mandir and never compromised on his values.

The DoPT order is yet to be welcomed by the RSS.