Indian Government Lifts 58-Year-Old Ban on Government Employees Participating in RSS Activities via DoPT Order

Jul 22, 2024, 06:02 AM

The Indian government has lifted a 58-year-old ban on government employees participating in activities organized by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The ban, originally imposed in 1966 by the then Congress government, has been revoked by the current Modi administration through a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order. The decision has sparked political controversy, with the BJP welcoming the move as a reversal of an unconstitutional order, while the Congress has criticized it, arguing that it undermines the neutrality of the bureaucracy. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya called the previous ban unconstitutional, while Congress MP Karti Chidambaram expressed concerns about the neutrality of government employees. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also criticized the move, referencing the historical context of the ban following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and other Congress members mocked the decision, referring to RSS 'knickers'.