RIJIJU DEFENDS RSS CHIEF ON ARMY JIBE

THE RSS chief had purportedly claimed that the RSS could “prepare” military personnel faster than the Army.

New Delhi, Feb. 12: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday defended RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks on the Army, drawing flak from opposition Trinamul which called him a “minister of Sangh”.

Mr Rijiju, the minister of state of home, also hit out at the Congress which had criticised Mr Bhagwat’s remarks, saying it should not try to politicise the Army.

The RSS, BJP and Union ministers on Monday rushed to the defence of Sangh Parivar boss Mohan Bhagwat over allegations that he had tried to undermine the Army’s preparedness and had disrespected martyrs.

As Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked Mr Bhagwat, saying his remarks were an “insult to every Indian” and demanded an apology, Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, along with the RSS, jumped to defend the Sangh Parivar supremo. While the RSS claimed that its boss’ statements were misrepresented, Mr Rijiju defended him by saying that in emergency situations “every Indian must volunteer to stand with the defence forces”. BJP ally JD(U)’s chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar also tried to defend the RSS boss when he asked: “If an organisation says that it is eager to safeguard the borders, is it a matter of controversy?”

The RSS claimed that Mr Bhagwat’s remarks were only made as a comparison between ordinary citizens and Sangh volunteers (swayamsevaks) and were in “no way a comparison” with the Indian Army.

“Mohan Bhagwat’s speech is being misrepresented. Mr Bhagwat had said that if situation arises and the Constitution permits, the Army would take six months to prepare society, whereas Sangh swayamsevaks can be trained in three days, as swayamsevaks practise discipline regularly,” said RSS’ Akhil Bhartiya Prachaar Pramukh Manmohan Vaidya.