New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) welcomed the purported move by the Modi government to lift the ban on central government employees participating in the activities of the Sangh.
Terming the original move as “politically driven”, the RSS said this will “strengthen the democratic system of India”.
“Due to its political interests, the then (1966) government had baselessly banned government employees from participating in the activities of a constructive organisation like the Sangh. The present decision of the government is appropriate and is going to strengthen the democratic system of India,” said Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh, RSS, in a statement issued Monday.
Ambekar also highlighted that RSS has been “continuously engaged in the reconstruction of the nation and service to the society for the past 99 years”.
“From time to time, different types of leadership of the country have praised the role of the Sangh due to its contribution in national security, unity and integrity and taking the society along in times of natural disasters,” he added.
The Congress had Sunday claimed that the Narendra Modi government had lifted the ban on government employees participating in the activities of the RSS via an order purportedly issued by the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pension, and the department of personnel and training.
A number of senior Congress leaders took to X and posted a copy of this “order”.
“58 years ago, the Central Government had imposed a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the RSS. Modi govt has withdrawn the order,” said senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on X.
58 years ago, the Central Government had imposed a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the RSS. Modi govt has withdrawn the order. pic.twitter.com/ONDEnS3Jmi
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) July 21, 2024
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, too, posted the order on X, along with the original 1966 order.
Here is the original November 1966 banning order https://t.co/8HAePnyEAS pic.twitter.com/9BYpe0A5hw
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 21, 2024
“Sardar Patel had banned the RSS in February 1948 following Gandhiji’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 Subsequently, the ban was withdrawn on assurances of good behaviour.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. 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. The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose,” Jairam Ramesh wrote in another X post.
According to the photos of the purported government order, titled ‘Participation of the Government servants in the activities of RSSS — Regarding (sic)’, it states, “The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM No.3/10(S)/66-Estt. (B) 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. 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 (sic)”.
Speaking to ThePrint, Khera said that “if the order is correct”, then it raises several questions.
“What has changed since the time Sardar Patel agreed to conditionally lift the ban on RSS? Has RSS become any less political? The timing and the intent of lifting the prohibition on govt employees from participating in the activities of the RSS is highly suspect as the BJP finds itself increasingly beleaguered,” he said.
Sharing an image of the purported order on his X page, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “If true, this is against India’s integrity and unity.”
“The ban on RSS exists because it originally refused to accept the constitution, the national flag & the national anthem. Every RSS member takes an oath that puts Hindutva above the nation. No civil servant can be loyal to the nation if he is a member of RSS,” he added.
Amit Malviya, however, has said, “the original order shouldn’t have been passed in the first place.”
Calling the 1966 order “unconstitutional”, the BJP IT cell head said in an X post, “The unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on Govt employees taking part in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been withdrawn by the Modi Govt…. The ban was imposed because on 7 Nov 1966, there was a massive anti-cow-slaughter protest at the Parliament. RSS-Jana Sangh mobilised support in lakhs. Many died in police firing. On 30 Nov 1966, shaken by the RSS-Jana Sangh clout, Indira Gandhi banned Govt staff from joining the RSS.”
“Besides, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself reached out to the RSS in Feb 1977, offering to lift the ban she had imposed in Nov 1966, in exchange for their support for her election campaign. So, Balak Buddhi & Co should know Congress’s history before whining endlessly…,” added Malviya.
The ban on central government employees attending RSS activities was first imposed by a 1966 order.
In an office memorandum issue in November 1966, the government of India, while clarifying the conduct of civil servants in context to their participation in political activities, had said: “As certain doubts have been raised over government’s policy over with respect to the membership of and participation in the activities of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Jamaat-e-Islami by government servants, it is clarified that the government has always held the activities of these two organisations to be of a nature that by participating in by government servants would attract provisions of sub-rule (1) of Rule 5 of Central Civil Service Conduct Rule 1960.”
The memorandum further explained, “Any government servant who is a member of or is otherwise associated with the aforesaid organisation or with their activities is liable for disciplinary action.”
During Indira Gandhi’s tenure, the order was expanded to prohibit promoting or attending RSS meetings. A 1975 notification added that violations of this order could result in imprisonment for up to seven years, a fine, or both.
The ban was briefly lifted in 2018, according to the Government Employees National Confederation, affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), when the confederation had written to PM Modi, urging him to follow the example of the Keshubhai Patel-led BJP government in Gujarat, which lifted the ban on state government employees participating in RSS activities in 2000.
This report has been updated to incorporate latest developments.
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