The Hindu : New Delhi News : RSS threatens legal action against Arjun Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

RSS threatens legal action against Arjun Singh

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 10. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is planning legal action against the Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, who has charged the organisation with having assassinated the Mahatma.

An angry RSS spokesperson, Ram Madhav, said yesterday that what Mr. Singh said was jhootha prachar (false propaganda) as the Commission, which had looked into the conspiracy behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi, had said that "the RSS had had nothing to do with it.''

He pointed out that the late Congress president, Sitaram Kesri, had made similar allegations but had apologised after the RSS served him witha legal notice. "We then decided not to go ahead with the case.''

Mr. Madhav also found fault with Mr. Singh for saying that the RSS men in key Government positions should be found out and removed. "RSS members are citizens of this country ... they are patriotic citizens ... the Government administrative machinery is not anyone's private property that just because some people may be associated with the RSS they should be removed.'' He pointed out that there were "several court judgments to this effect'' and "if some people want to look at those judgments, I can send copies to them.''

Speaking at the National Convention on Secularism here yesterday, Mr. Singh had said "if an institution's biggest achievement was killing Gandhi, then you know what national purpose you can expect it to serve.'' Describing the RSS as a "fascist force'', he had said that the previous Government had appointed men with sympathies for the Sangh Parivar in key positions. Today the Government was in the grip of the RSS and "we have to cleanse it.''

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