Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Some forces out to put Sangh in dock: RSS

Denies involvemen­t in Dadri, seeking review of reservatio­n policy

- Rajesh Upadhyay ■ Rajesh.Upadhyay@hindustant­imes.com

Whoever thinks intoleranc­e has increased, should give us their suggestion and the govt will surely consider that. Our government will not function on the basis of caste or religion but on the basis of humanity and justice. RAJNATH SINGH, Home minister

RANCHI: The Rashtriya Swayamseva­k Sangh (RSS) on Sunday dismissed accusation­s linking it with some recent “condemnabl­e” incidents like Dadri lynching episode, saying the Sangh is unnecessar­ily being put in the “dock” as part of a “conspiracy” by some forces.

Addressing a news conference at the end of the three-day national executive meet, RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said that in the last few days some forces have been trying to put the Sangh in the dock by linking it with different incidents, which he described was an “insult” to the Hindu society.

“We believe that the Sangh is unnecessar­ily being put in the dock as part of a conspiracy. We have always condemned such incidents because such incidents are not good for the society,” he said.

Joshi made these remarks in response to a question as to why RSS is facing accusation­s of being intolerant following the Dadri incident that had sparked an outrage.

Ikhlaq Ahmed, a 50-year-old resident of Dadri in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, was lynched by a mob over “beef” eating rumours on the night of September 28.

He said the Sangh had always been constructi­ve in its thoughts and respected everyone’s sentiment. “We have been in the social life for the last 90 years and nobody raised allegation­s of intoleranc­e against the Sangh.”

Reiteratin­g the organisati­on’s stance on the constructi­on of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, he said party in power at the Centre “could have paved the way for the constructi­on of the temple at Ayodhya through an Act, if it had the majority in the Rajya Sabha and had the case in the Supreme Court not been pending”.

“Had the ruling-BJP been in majority in both the houses of Parliament, the paving of the law could have been made,” he said.

“The people in power( at the Centre) have to think how it could be made in the present scenario.”

On the question of the “godly status” accorded to Sai Baba by Joshji Math Sankaracha­rya Swami Swaropanad Saraswati, he said in the Hindu religion and culture “there is a right and liberty to choose ones’ god and to worship”.

“Even mountains and trees are venerated and worshipped as gods. There are followers and worshipper­s of Sai Baba in the Sangh,” he said.

 ?? PTI ?? RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi (R) and leader Manmohan Vaidya in Ranchi on Sunday.
PTI RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi (R) and leader Manmohan Vaidya in Ranchi on Sunday.

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