Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for reinstating the ban on government employees participating in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities, citing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 1948 decision to restrict such affiliations.
Speaking on the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which also coincides with the 41st death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Kharge said both the Iron Man and the Iron Lady worked for India’s unity and integrity.He said that the RSS undermines India’s democratic and secular framework. Kharge recalled Patel’s letter dated February 4, 1948, where the then Deputy Prime Minister wrote that the RSS had celebrated Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and distributed sweets. Kharge said Patel had concluded that the atmosphere created by the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha ideologies contributed to Gandhi’s killing.
The Congress chief also said that both Patel and Nehru played crucial roles in uniting India, urging the government to respect their shared vision of a secular nation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party rejected Kharge’s remarks, accusing the Congress of invoking Patel’s name selectively. BJP spokespersons defended the RSS, claiming that its work was being misrepresented for political purposes. Congress leaders, however, maintained that their demand is rooted in constitutional values and the need to prevent communal ideology from influencing state institutions.