Allowing govt employees to participate in Sangh's activities will affect their neutrality: Oppn

New Delhi: The BJP and the RSS on Monday hailed the Centre's move to lift a ban on government employees from participating in activities of the Hindutva organisation, while opposition parties slammed the decision, alleging that it is aimed at politicising employees around an ideology.

In a statement, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said the revocation of the ban would strengthen the country's democratic system and accused previous governments, mostly headed by the Congress, of furthering their political interests by targeting the RSS.

The order barring government employees from attending the activities of the RSS was issued in 1966, when the Congress was in power.

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Piyush Goyal alleged that the ban was driven by political reasons and that the Congress has always had a negative mindset towards nationalist organisations in its pursuit of appeasement politics.

Criticising the Narendra Modi government's decision, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on X, "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, Modiji wants to politicise government offices and employees on ideological basis." This will be a challenge to the sense of neutrality of public servants in government offices and the supremacy of the Constitution, the Congress chief said.

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

"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.

Union minister Giriraj Singh lauded the decision, saying the RSS has always worked for social harmony and national integrity, and its volunteers have taken the lead in helping people hit by natural disasters and other such tragedies.

Goyal described the RSS as a nationalist organisation, whose members are "full of patriotism". The Congress has always had a negative mindset for nationalist organisations and such a thinking has no place in the country, he told reporters.

The opposition parties that have criticised the Centre's decision to lift the ban are only interested in appeasement politics and have displayed a negative attitude towards Hindus, he alleged.

A day after a government order about the ban being lifted became public, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said in a statement, "The present decision of the government is appropriate and strengthens the democratic system of India." The RSS has continuously been involved in the reconstruction of the country and service to the society for the last 99 years, he added.

"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.

Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) called the lifting of the ban "shameful".

"With this order, the ED, the IT department, the CBI, the ECI and other sarkari officers can officially prove their Sanghi credentials.

"It is such a shame. Instead of aligning only to Bharat Mata's interests, the BJP is leading them towards keeping ideological interests first," she said.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the RSS does not believe in India's plurality.

"RSS members swear on Hindu nationalism. So this is against Indian nationalism," he said.

Talking about government employees being permitted to participate in activities of the RSS, he further said they should not be allowed to associate with any cultural organisations.

"There are several cultural organisations that believe in the Left ideology. There are other cultural organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami. The NDA allies should also come out and say whether they agree with this (order)," he said.

The original order dated November 30, 1966, banned the association of government servants with the activities of the RSS and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Office-bearers of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said they are studying the changes made in the official order and will formulate their response soon.