ગુજરાતી
English
Ahmedabad, 12 – 09 – 2024 (Google translation from Gujarati, error is possible)
The Modi government lifted the 58-year-old ban on the participation of government employees in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. On July 9, 2024, the 58-year-old ban, which was in place even during the Vajpayee government, has now been lifted.
24 years ago in Gujarat too, an attempt was made to withdraw this order by banning government employees from participating in the programs of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The Gujarat government had to retreat.
3 January 2000. At that time Keshubhai Patel was the Chief Minister and on this day his government allowed government employees to participate in the programs of the RSS. The RSS was completing 75 years and a three-day grand program was organized in Ahmedabad from 7 January 2000. About 30,000 volunteers of RSS were present in this state level function.
The Gujarat government amended the Gujarat Civil Servants Conduct Rules, 1971.
Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel himself attended the ceremony wearing the RSS uniform of khaki shorts. LK Advani was present. Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari was also present.
RSS volunteers who were jailed during the Emergency urged Keshubhai to lift the ban. These included RSS leaders like Amritbhai Kadiwala and Prof. Sunilbhai Mehta.
When the Gujarat government took this decision, late leader Haren Pandya was the Minister of State for Home in Keshubhai Patel’s government. Kashiram Rana, MP from Surat and minister in the Vajpayee government, and other BJP MPs proposed lifting the ban.
The Gujarat government sent these arguments to the Union Home Ministry. At that time, LK Advani was the Home Minister in the Vajpayee government. His ministry sent various court decisions to the Gujarat government.
Citing this decision, Haren Pandya said, “Nothing illegal was found in the activities of the RSS. Working since 17 June 1999. We sought clarification from the Home Ministry in this matter.” We received the reply on July 13, 1999. In which, referring to the decision of Justice Bahri, it was said that RSS is not involved in any illegal activity.
When Babri Masjid was demolished, the then government of P. V. Narasimha Rao again banned RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. This tribunal was formed to investigate them.
The judge of this tribunal was Justice P. K. Bahri. He gave the decision to maintain the ban on Vishwa Hindu Parishad and lift the ban on RSS and Bajrang Dal.
This decision of the government was strongly opposed by the opposition Congress. Its leaders alleged that Keshubhai’s government was ‘dividing’ the employees.
Shankar Singh Vaghela, who was once a RSS volunteer and later broke away from BJP and formed a new party ‘Rashtriya Janata Party’ with the help of Congress and became the Chief Minister, joined Congress at that time. He alleged that this government was working at the behest of RSS. Keshubhai and his cabinet colleagues were Sanghis. Sangh was holding the ball.
Employees get personal benefits, promotions. Non-participants are discriminated against. Government should not be used in this way.’ People also protested. Some BJP leaders did not like the attention given to the Sangh. This included North Gujarat leader Lekhraj Bachani.
Girish Patel and Haroonbhai Mehta filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court to cancel the decision.
K.R. Narayanan was the President. He opposed the decision. The Vajpayee government made it clear that he had been given a satisfactory answer.
Civil society activists took out rallies in Gujarat. The ‘Movement for Secular Democracy’ filed a petition requesting the Governor to put pressure on Keshubhai Patel’s government to reverse this decision.
Meenakshiben Joshi, Dwarkanath Rath were also present. They met Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya and also suggested him to withdraw this decision.
It was feared that the public administration of the Gujarat government would be affected by communalism. Worked to divide the workforce. Employees who are not with the union will be under pressure and threat from the BJP and those who are with the union will benefit from it, due to which the administration will lose the trust of the people. Minorities will be reduced to second class citizens.
Their protest did not have much effect in Gujarat but it was more against the central government. The opposition raised this issue loudly in Parliament.
Many government employees go to the Sangh’s shakha. IAS and IPS officers working in Gujarat and central government employees were not allowed to attend the Sangh’s program.
Responding to this matter in the Rajya Sabha, LK Advani said, “The Vajpayee government has no plans to allow central government employees to participate in RSS activities.”
On behalf of the Gujarat government, Advani replied, “There was no consent, no approval.”
Vajpayee’s NDA government was dependent on allies. However, Vajpayee defended the Gujarat government’s decision by saying first that the RSS is a cultural and social organization. Among these, the main party DMK suffered the most from this decision. At that time DMK was with NDA. The then president of DMK M. Karunanidhi expressed his objection to Vajpayee. After Karunanidhi’s objection, Vajpayee’s tone changed.
When the proceedings of the House started getting disrupted repeatedly in this matter, Advani said that
