Centre lifts ban on govt officials doing RSS work

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Monday hailed the Centre's move to lift the ban on government employees from participating in activities of the Sangh, saying the decision would strengthen the country's democratic system.

It also accused the earlier regimes of furthering their own political interests by imposing the ban in the past.

There have been multiple instances of the government barring its employees in the past from associating with the RSS.

A day after a government order became public about the ban being lifted and several opposition leaders criticised the move, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said in a statement, "The present decision of the government is appropriate and strengthens the democratic system of India."

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been continuously involved in the reconstruction of the nation 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.

Meanwhile, the Congress slammed the Centre's order, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to politicise employees on an ideological basis.

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on this day in 1947, India adopted its National Flag but the RSS opposed the Tricolour, and Sardar Patel had warned them against it.

"Sardar Patel had also banned RSS after Gandhi ji's assassination on February 4, 1948. Modi ji has lifted a 1966 ban on government servants attending RSS activities, after 58 years," he said.

"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, Modi ji wants to politicise government offices and employees on ideological basis," Kharge alleged.

This will be a challenge to the sense of neutrality of public servants in government offices and the supremacy of the Constitution, he said.

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

"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.

"This is also a violation of the apology and assurance given by RSS to Sardar Patel in which they had promised that RSS will work as a social organisation without any political agenda, in accordance with the Constitution of India," he said.

Kharge asserted that the Opposition shall continue its efforts to protect the country's Constitution and its democracy.

His remarks come a day after Congress general secretary of 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.

"The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM (office memorandum)..dated 30.11.1966, OM No. 7/4/70-Est.(B) dated 25.07.1970 and OM No. 15014/3(S)/80- Estt. (B) dated 28.10.1980 on the above subject. 2. The aforesaid instructions have been reviewed and it has been decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S) from the impugned OMs dated 30.11.1966, 25.07.1970 and 28.10.1980," the order read.

In a post along with the picture of the order, Ramesh said on Sunday, "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," he said.

"The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose," Ramesh had said, alluding to the RSS uniform of khaki shorts which was replaced by brown trousers in 2016.

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also shared a screenshot of the order and said that an "unconstitutional" directive issued 58 years ago has been withdrawn by the Modi government.

Ramesh too shared a screenshot of the original order dated November 30, 1966, banning the association of government servants with the activities of the RSS and the Jamaat-e-Islami.