The first of the manifesto-wars has broken out and the bone of contention is the presence of RSS Shakhas in Madhya Pradesh government buildings.
A day after the Congress promised in its manifesto to ban such shakhas, the BJP has strongly reacted to the move.
RSS shakhas refer to the office of the RSS workers used for regular meetings, activities, and exercises.
The ban was was first imposed by the Congress in 1981 in the state and was revived in 2000, when Digvijaya Singh was the chief minister.
The order warned employees of disciplinary action if they were found attending the RSS shakhas or the organisation’s other activities, under MP Civil Service (classification, control and appeal) Rules of 1966.
In 2006, the Shivraj Singh government had allowed its employees to take part in RSS activities.
Congress leaders, led by state chief Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijay Singh and others, had released the party manifesto on Saturday.
PCC chief Kamal Nath has justified the Congress' stand, saying that the ban is necessary to ensure that government employees focused on their works rather than attending other activities.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram supported the move while speaking to journalists in Indore.
“RSS is a political organisation. If the Congress party in MP has said it will put an end to this practice, I see nothing wrong with that. Governments servants, as long as they are working with the government, shouldn’t openly associate with a political party,” Chidambaram said.
State BJP president Rakesh Singh has dared the Congress to ban the RSS , adding no power can stop a patriotic organisation from carrying out its work for the nation and character building.
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