Bhopal: Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cried foul over withdrawal of security cover from the RSS office in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath revoked the orders, but flayed the BJP for its double standards as it was also not ready to seek security.
The activist who had complained to the Election Commission (EC) against the security provided to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has threatened to move the high court over MP government’s move.
Earlier in the day, the BJP castigated the move to remove the armed SAF personnel posted outside the RSS Madhya Bharat Prant office at Arera Colony in Bhopal. Leader of opposition Gopal Bhargav had even suspected a conspiracy theory behind the move.
Meanwhile, armed with his newly found ‘Hindutva’ image, senior Congress leader and the party’s nominee from Bhopal, Digvijaya Singh, criticised the government's late night move of withdrawing security cover from the Sangh's office and had requested Nath to revoke the orders. Several other BJP leaders also jumped into the debate as the day progressed.
Nath finally reacted in the afternoon saying that he had learnt about the withdrawal of security from half a dozen places, including the RSS office, due to requirement of additional forces in elections and a complaint lodged with the EC.
“I have ordered the officers for immediate restoration of security,” the chief minister added.
“We might have ideological differences with the RSS, but I am not in favour of removing security cover offered to it,” Nath said in a statement.
However, Nath used the opportunity to lambast the BJP for its ‘double standards’ saying that during the 15 years of its rule, the Congress office wasn’t offered any protection, but the grand old party, after coming to power, did not withdraw the security offered to the BJP office in Bhopal.
He also slammed the BJP leaders for claiming that security was required at the RSS office but did not offer any application seeking the same. “Not seeking security and opposing its removal is beyond comprehension,” Nath said.
Vyapam whistle-blower Dr Anand Rai who had raised a complaint through advocate Siddharth Gupta to multiple authorities, including the Chief Justice of India, EC, MP Police and the state Chief Electoral Officer, against the security cover issued to the RSS’ Bhopal office against norms, told News18 Nath’s order to restore security was objectionable.
He said the Sangh was neither a constitutional body nor a registered organization and hence, it should pay for its security cover.
The complaint had said the security offered to the RSS was in violation of Section 494 (A) and Section 494 of the Police Manual and Regulations and Rs 20 crore has been spent on the same.
“The manner in which the security was withdrawn and then restored is questionable and we would move the high court against state government’s move,” Rai said.
The RSS office was provided with security cover in 2009 when the then RSS chief, KC Sudarshan, had stepped down from the top post and decided to live permanently at the outfit’s office here.
Sudarshan had been threatened by the Indian Mujahideen and was offered security on the basis of an intelligence report. Sudarshan had died in year 2012 but the security cover at the office continued.
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