BSP chief Mayawati criticises govt for lifting 58-year-old ban on workers participating in RSS Shakhas

lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati has expressed strong opposition to the government’s decision to lift the long-standing ban on government employees participating in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakhas, saying the move is politically motivated and not in national interest.

In a statement, Mayawati said the decision was aimed at appeasing RSS members and bridging the gap that had opened between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and the RSS after the Lok Sabha elections. She demanded the decision be immediately reversed.

Mayawati expressed her disapproval on social media platform X, stating, “The Central government’s decision to lift the 58-year-old ban on government employees from joining RSS outfits goes beyond national interest, is politically motivated and is aimed at appeasing the RSS. This is to ease the tension that has developed between them after the Lok Sabha elections due to the government’s policies and arrogant attitude.”

She stressed that government employees must act impartially within the framework of the Constitution and the law, giving priority to public interest and welfare. Mayawati noted that the RSS’s activities, which are often political in nature and sometimes electoral for a particular party, have been curbed for many years. She argued that the lifting of the ban is inappropriate and should be revoked immediately.

The ban on government employees attending RSS institutions had been in force for the past 58 years and its recent lifting had generated considerable controversy.

Published: Mon Jul 22, 2024 09:56 PM IST