Congress Criticises Centre's Order To Removed RSS-Linked Ban on Govt Employees; Right Wing Hails Decision

The Congress on Monday alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government wants to politicise employees on ideological basis after an order by the Centre regarding removing the ban on the participation of government employees in RSS activities, became public.

There have been multiple instances of the government barring its employees in the past from associating with the RSS.

Centre Lifts Ban On RSS: What Did Congress Say?

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on this day in 1947, India adopted its National Flag but the RSS opposed the Tricolour, and Sardar Patel had warned them against it.

"Sardar Patel had also banned RSS after Gandhi ji's assassination on February 4, 1948. Modi ji has lifted a 1966 ban on government servants attending RSS activities, after 58 years," he said.

"We know how BJP is using RSS to institutionally take over all Constitutional and autonomous bodies. By lifting the ban on government employees from participating in RSS activities, Modi ji wants to politicise government offices and employees on ideological basis," Kharge alleged.

This will be a challenge to the sense of neutrality of public servants in government offices and the supremacy of the Constitution, he said.

The government is probably taking these steps because the people defeated its "nefarious intent to change the Constitution", he alleged.

"The Modi government continues its efforts to take control over Constitutional bodies and work its way in through the back door and tamper with the Constitution," Kharge alleged.

"This is also a violation of the apology and assurance given by RSS to Sardar Patel in which they had promised that RSS will work as a social organisation without any political agenda, in accordance with the Constitution of India," he said.

Kharge asserted that the Opposition shall continue its efforts to protect the country's Constitution and its democracy.

His remarks came a day after Congress general secretary of communications Jairam Ramesh shared an office memorandum, dated July 9, issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension pertaining to the participation of the government servants in the activities of the RSS.

"The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM (office memorandum)..dated 30.11.1966, OM No. 7/4/70-Est.(B) dated 25.07.1970 and OM No. 15014/3(S)/80- Estt. (B) dated 28.10.1980 on the above subject. 2. The aforesaid instructions have been reviewed and it has been decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S) from the impugned OMs dated 30.11.1966, 25.07.1970 and 28.10.1980," the order read.

In 1966, a ban was imposed - and rightly so - on government employees taking part in RSS activities, Ramesh said.

"After June 4th, 2024, relations between the self-anointed non-biological PM and the RSS have nosedived. On July 9, 2024, the 58-year ban that was in force even during Mr Vajpayee's tenure as PM was removed," he said.

"The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose," Ramesh had said, alluding to the RSS uniform of khaki shorts which was replaced by brown trousers in 2016.

Ramesh too shared a screenshot of the original order dated November 30, 1966, banning the association of government servants with the activities of the RSS and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

How Did Right Wing React?

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya shared a screenshot of the order and said that an "unconstitutional" directive issued 58 years ago has been withdrawn by the Modi government.

The RSS on Monday hailed the Centre's move to lift the ban on government employees from participating in activities of the Sangh, saying the decision would strengthen the country's democratic system.

RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said in a statement, "The present decision of the government is appropriate and strengthens the democratic system of India."

"Due to the contribution of the Sangh in national security, unity-integrity and taking the society along during times of natural disaster, various types of leadership of the country have also praised the role of the Sangh from time to time.

"Due to its political interests, the then government had baselessly banned the government employees from participating in the activities of a constructive organisation like the Sangh," the statement said.