The Congress on Thursday alleged that a "conspiracy" against reservation is "very much alive" in the mind of the RSS and termed a "clarification" Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks that reservation should continue as long as inequality persists.
Speaking at an event in Nagpur on Wednesday, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Bhagwat said that discrimination exists in our society and reservations should continue as long as inequality persists.
He also said "Akhand Bharat" or undivided India will become a reality before today's youngsters become old, as those who separated from India in 1947 are now feeling that they made a mistake.
Asked about Bhagwat's remarks, Congress' media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera said, "Who is he and why does he need to comment on everything. First tell him to get his organisation registered. Why is it like 'buy one, get one free', you vote for BJP and get Sangh for free."
"What was the role of the ideological ancestors of those calling for 'Akhand Bharat'. We invite Mohan Bhagwat to come and debate on this, we challenge him," Khera said.
"What was B S Moonje's role in India's partition. Let us debate on that, or about their political and ideological ancestor Hindu Mahasabha, what was their role post-1942 when during the Quit India movement, they became part of governments," he said.
"Today they cannot tolerate 15-16 per cent Muslims in India, what will they do as there would be 45 per cent in 'Akhand Bharat'. So he (Bhagwat) has this old habit of saying things without thinking. On the issue of 'Akhand Bharat', the RSS is divided. The RSS is not 'Akhand' on this there are different views on this in RSS," Khera said.
Khera alleged that the RSS is not known for ideas (vichar) but its propaganda (prachar).
On the reservation issue, Khera said they tried to attack the Constitution talking about 'India-Bharat'.
"It is an attack on the architecture of the Indian Constitution and reservation. The country knows what they want to do. You and me don't have to explain why this India-Bharat controversy was created. Why are articles being written to re-write Constitution, why are questions being raised on the basic structure of the Constitution by government intellectuals," he said.
"This is an attack on the soul of the Constitution drafted by Babasahab Ambedkar in which there is a specific place for reservation. When this thing was brought to the fore and they were challenged, they were forced to issue a clarification," he said, referring to Bhagwat's remarks.
"But this conspiracy is very much alive in their minds, this conspiracy exists from the times the Constitution was being written," Khera said.
-With PTI Input
