Is RSS finally flexing its muscle after 'less than adequate' performance by Modi in 2024?

New Delhi: The “less than adequate” performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent Lok Sabha polls is seemingly taking a heavy toll on the “independent functioning” of the Narendra Modi government. 

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the saffron political outfit, now seemingly wants to extract its pound of flesh, and soon.

After being in office for over ten years, the Narendra Modi government has “finally” thought it fit to withdraw the almost six-decade-old order that imposed a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the RSS.

Sources pointed out that the directive on the withdrawal of the Congress government order could have come in Modi government’s earlier two stints when the BJP was in a much stronger position. 

“Why did the Modi government wake up to the issue after 10 years? This order only became possible after a nudge by the Sangh which is now in no mood to play second fiddle to the whims and fancies of BJP’s all-powerful top leadership,” sources said.

It must be pointed out that the Sangh had been battling for the removal of this decades-old government directive, both during the opposition and BJP rule at the Centre, as it found the order to be “against democratic norms”. 

However, the RSS’ wish was only granted in the third term of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Sources pointed out that the Central government’s directive came in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the BJP and the PM himself were at their weakest.

They are completely dependent on not only the allies for their survival at the Centre, but also on the RSS cadre for the upcoming crucial Assembly polls that are scheduled to take place in the important states of Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The Sangh now knows that the BJP is totally dependent on it for survival over the next five years and is expected to make more such demands even as the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls approach as the party hopes to retain the crucial electoral state, sources added.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led opposition is unlikely to let this move by the Modi government go unnoticed.

The order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on July 9, stating that the ban on government staff taking part in RSS activities, which was in place since 1966, has been removed came under immediate attack by the grand old party.

Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh stated, “Sardar Patel had banned the RSS in February 1948 following Gandhi ji’s assassination. Subsequently, the ban was withdrawn on assurances of good behaviour. Even after this the RSS never flew the Tiranga in Nagpur.” 

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. The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose,” Ramesh added.

However, defending the government move, Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT department head, said that an “unconstitutional” directive issued 58 years ago has been withdrawn by the Modi government. “The original order shouldn’t have been passed in the first place, he added.

The politics behind the government order notwithstanding, it is now amply clear that the BJP will need to take the Sangh on board for all major decisions that would be taken during PM Modi’s third term. The next few months could very well decide whether the two saffron outfits can enhance their partnership that brings them back on track for securing and keeping power in the future.