Congress trying to malign RSS image, claims BJP leader

LUCKNOW - Slamming Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi for her remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lalji Tandon Monday said that the Congress was trying its best to malign the image of the Sangh Parivar for vested interests.

“Congress leaders like Rita Bahuguna Joshi are trying their best to defame RSS to gain political mileage and appease a section of the society,” Tandon told reporters at a press conference here.

Joshi Sunday alleged that the RSS was destroying the unity of the country and demanded the state and the central governments ban the “fundamentalist organisation”.

Commenting on a senior RSS leader being termed a suspect in the 2007 Ajmer blast, Joshi alleged that the RSS, BJP or their offshoots were involved in most of the communal riots.

“The issue of banning the RSS has been raised earlier too. While Joshi’s father Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna too himself had raised the same issue during his regime, leaders including Indira Gandhi and even Jawaharlal Nehru had demanded a ban on the Sangh,” Tandon said.

“But RSS is a very strong organisation, which has played a great role in the building the nation. The Congress is trying to malign the image of RSS by such statements, but they will not succeed,” Tandon added.

Attacking Chief Minister Mayawati, Tandon, who is the BJP MP from Lucknow, alleged that her government was not serious about controlling the outbreak of a mysterious disease in the Khadra area.

“Residents of the Khadra area are dying of mysterious illness. Despite having several research institutes of international repute, the government is yet to establish causes behind the illness. It’s all because the government is just not serious in controlling the disease,” he said.