Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded a ban on government employees participating in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) events, recalling that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had once imposed similar restrictions to safeguard India’s democratic and secular framework.
“My personal opinion is that RSS should be banned. 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," Kharge said at a press conference on Friday.
Remembering Sardar Patel on his 150th birth anniversary, Kharge asserted that he united the country, and Jawaharlal Nehru believed that Sardar Patel’s contribution was immense.
“Jawaharlal Nehru believed that Sardar Patel’s contribution was immense. On February 4, 1948, Sardar Patel wrote in a letter about the RSS: ‘The RSS celebrated Gandhiji’s death and distributed sweets.’ After this, the government had no other option," said the Congress chief.
Kharge said that, according to reports received by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the climate created by the ideologies of the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha was responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
BJP Hits Back
Responding sharply, the BJP accused the Congress of double standards, saying the party ignored Patel’s legacy for decades and is now invoking his name only to target the RSS.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “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. They said RSS was a non-political organisation and government employees can take part in their activities. But the Congress is so intolerant that they stand with the rioters of PFI, SDPI, and MIM but spew venom against RSS, which is working for the country’s welfare."
Poonawalla added that while Congress talks about following Patel’s principles, it never truly honoured his vision or contributions.
