Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that they would not ask the Centre to reverse its order that prohibits government employees from attending its shakhas as there was no need for it. He said that it is up to government to think on it. As far as RSS is concerned, he added, it has never felt any obstacle because of the restrictions. Bhagwat was reportedly speaking at an interaction with college and university teachers on Saturday in Haridwar that was not opened to the media. “Hum sarkaar se koi maang nahi karne jaa rahe. Hum apna kaam kar rahe hain. Hamara kaam aise kisee avrodhon se nahi rukta (We are not going to demand anything from the government in this regard. We are doing our work. Our work is never affected by such restrictions),” sources quoted Bhagwat as saying when the issue was raised by a teacher of a government college. While replying to a query posed by the teacher who said that being a government employee he is often targeted by his superiors, Bhagwat said that there are such orders of governments that prohibit government staff from taking part in RSS activities, but RSS work is spreading despite all such things. Sources said that the RSS chief quoted an instance of a Kerala government employee who became a pracharak when government suspended him for carrying out RSS work. “His half pay (that employees get during suspension) was sufficient to feed his family and during suspension he became a full-time pracharak for the Sangh,” Bhagwat reportedly said. Several state governments have imposed restrictions on government employees prohibiting them from taking part in RSS activities. The 1966 order no 3/10/(S), issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, says, “Government have always held the activities of these two organisations (RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami) to be of such a nature that participation in them by government servants would attract provisions of sub-rule (1) of Rule 5 of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964. Any government servant, who is a member of or is otherwise associated with the aforesaid organisations or with their activities is liable to disciplinary action.” Interestingly, PM Narendra Modi is a RSS pracharak, while Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh claims to be a Swayamsewak.
