New Delhi (22.07.2024): This seems ironical that the organization that Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister, majority of the Union ministers and Chief Ministers of various states groomed under, officials were banned attending Shakhas of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) while serving the government. Now, the ban on officials attending its Shakhas has been lifted.

The RSS which is written RSSS in the government notification was banned thrice in the past in 1948, 1975 and 1992 which later on was lifted. The ban on government officials attending Shakha was imposed in November 1966 during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The government order referred to previous orders from November 30, 1966, July 25, 1970, and October 28, 1980. It stated that these instructions had been reviewed and decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSSS) from these orders. This decision marks a significant change in policy regarding government employees' involvement with the RSS.

This order is certainly going to see protest from Opposition quarters with Pawan Khera sharing a screenshot of the July 9 order, where he said, "58 years ago, the central government had imposed a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the RSS. The Modi government has withdrawn the order."

Congress media chief Jairam Ramesh too did not miss the opportunity to criticise the decision by bringing sour relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS. He noted that relations between them have deteriorated since June 4, 2024. Ramesh sardonically said, "The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose."

The1966 order banned government servants from associating with RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami activities. The Congress party's claims have sparked discussions about the implications of allowing government employees to participate in RSS activities freely.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya responded in a post on X, "The unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on Govt employees taking part in the activities of the RSS has been withdrawn by the Modi Govt. The original order shouldn't have been passed in the first place."

This development could have broader political ramifications given the historical context and current political climate. Parliament session is starting from today and these issues will have their impact on proceedings. The removal of such a ban may influence public perception and political dynamics within India. Political experts say that this may be a trap for the Congress as every Hindutva issue right from righting names on shops along Kawariya routs to lifting ban on RSS being opposed by the Congress may be dubbed as anti-Hindu.

(BY Vinod Kumar Shukla)