Centre's order allowing employees to take part in Sangh activities aimed at appeasing RSS: Mayawati

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday termed the Centre's order removing the ban on the participation of government employees in RSS activities a politically motivated move to "appease" the organisation and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

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"The Centre's decision to lift the 58-year-old ban on government employees from attending RSS shakhas is a politically motivated move to appease the RSS rather than serving the national interest. This is to ease the tensions that intensified between the two after the Lok Sabha elections over government policies and their arrogant attitudes," Mayawati said in a post in Hindi on X.

1. सरकारी कर्मचारियों को आरएसएस की शाखाओं में जाने पर 58 वर्ष से जारी प्रतिबंध को हटाने का केन्द्र का निर्णय देशहित से परे, राजनीति से प्रेरित संघ तुष्टीकरण का निर्णय, ताकि सरकारी नीतियों व इनके अहंकारी रवैयों आदि को लेकर लोकसभा चुनाव के बाद दोनों के बीच तीव्र हुई तल्खी दूर हो।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 22, 2024

The BSP supremo said that it is essential for government employees to work within the framework of the Constitution and the law with impartiality for public interest and welfare. "However, the activities of the RSS, which have often been banned, are not only political but also electoral in nature for a particular party. In such a situation, this decision is unfair and should be withdrawn immediately," she said in the post.

The Congress on Sunday had cited a purported government order issued last week to claim that a "ban" on the participation of government employees in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been removed.

While the veracity of the purported government order, which was posted on X by Congress leaders, could not be ascertained immediately, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also shared the screenshot of the order and said that an "unconstitutional" directive issued 58 years ago has been withdrawn by the Modi government.

Congress general secretary (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.