'Ban Attempts Failed Thrice, Congress Should Learn From History': RSS's First Respons
'Ban Attempts Failed Thrice, Congress Should Learn From History': RSS's First Response Amid Row
M.U.H
01/11/202518
Amid renewed political debate over demands to ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the organisation’s General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Saturday issued the first official response, asserting that attempts to outlaw the Sangh are not new and have repeatedly failed in the past.
The RSS General Secretary stated the RSS has previously faced ban attempts “not once, but thrice under Congress governments," but each time, public support and judicial scrutiny helped the organisation emerge stronger.
“Each time, society and the courts stood by the truth, and the Sangh emerged stronger," Dattatreya Hosabale said.
Questioning the basis of the renewed demand, Hosabale asked, “The question remains —why a ban? Can it simply be someone’s wish? What is the reason? "
Defending the organisation’s work, he added the Sangh has consistently contributed to “nation-building" and efforts to “strengthen society." He added that history shows such attempts are unlikely to succeed.
“They can try again, but history has shown that the Sangh has been accepted by society and now, even by the government. They should learn from history," Hosabale remarked.
The issue has sparked fresh exchanges across party lines, with the RSS, a long-standing ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, now formally weighing in.
Hosabale’s remarks come a day after Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a ban on government employees participating in RSS events, recalling that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had once imposed similar restrictions to safeguard India’s democratic and secular framework.
“My personal opinion is that RSS should be banned. Sardar Patel also said that one should not work for the RSS while in government service. He had banned government employees from participating in the activities of the RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami, which the Modi government lifted on July 9, 2024. We demand that this ban be reinstated," Kharge said at a press conference on Friday.
Responding sharply, the BJP accused the Congress of double standards, saying the party ignored Patel’s legacy for decades and is now invoking his name only to target the RSS.
The Congress-led government in Karnataka, the home state of Kharge, had been at loggerheads with the BJP recently over restricting the activities of the RSS.
