Storm over removal of security at RSS office in Bhopal

BHOPAL: Security to the RSS office in Bhopal was withdrawn late Monday night — ostensibly for election duty — triggering daylong political drama that had BJP crying ‘conspiracy’ and Congress candidate for Bhopal, Digvijaya Singh, appealing to CM Kamal Nath to reinstate the police picket.

In the afternoon, CM Nath issued orders to redeploy police at the RSS office, Samidha, saying he didn’t support the removal and “didn’t want to make it a political issue”.
But with the first phase of voting in MP four weeks away, there was no way it wasn’t going to be a political issue. BJP and RSS were scathing in their criticism. “This is a conspiracy against the Sangh Parivar by Congress and Digvijaya Singh. The party decided to remove security to appease a section of society. There was no reason mentioned and the RSS office was not informed before the picket was removed,” said RSS office trustee Kantilal Chadhar.
Leader of Opposition (LOP) Gopal Bhargava said, “Banned terrorist group SIMI is still active in parts of Malwa and Madhya Bharat, and can carry any operation against RSS leaders. The Congress government will be responsible for any untoward incident.”
In 2003, then CM Uma Bharti had ordered a police picket outside the RSS office as former RSS chief K S Sudarshan, who was given Z-plus security after threats from Indian Mujahideen, lived at Samidha. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who succeeded Bharti as CM, continued with the guard detail of four SAF personnel and an officer even after the demise of Sudarshan.
However, on Monday night, the picket was withdrawn under orders from the police headquarters. Sources in PHQ said the cops were to be deployed on election duty to make up for shortage of personnel. Additional DG (intelligence) Kailash Makwana told TOI: “We have issued standing instructions to police in each district to keep a vigil on law and order and manage forces for peaceful poll process. After recent incidents in some parts of Chambal and Vindyha, the police administration has moved additional forces to maintain law and order. This decision, taken by Bhopal police, must be in compliance with instructions issued during the elections.”
As soon as the controversy erupted on Tuesday morning, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh — who seems to be holding out an olive branch to RSS — spoke up in favour of Sangh Parivar, and urged the chief minister to reinstate the security. “Removing security from RSS office is not proper. I request chief minister Kamal Nath ji to immediately reinstate security at the RSS office,” Digvijaya tweeted.
CM Nath announced he has ordered re-deployment of cops at Samidha. “It has come to my notice that after a complaint was submitted to the Election Commission against RSS, and requirement of forces to conduct elections, security cover has been withdrawn from RSS office in Bhopal and six other places. I have asked the officials to immediately reinstate the security cover to RSS,” Nath said, in a statement released by Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja.
The CM sought to put a lid on the controversy by saying: “We may have ideological differences with the RSS. They may have been opposing us, but I am not in support of the decision to withdraw security from RSS office. I do not want to go deep into the facts why security guards were deployed in RSS office during the last 15 years while the Congress office was left unguarded. We also continued giving security to the BJP office and had no double standard. I am not interested in making this issue political.”
But it doesn’t look like the issue will die down any time soon. Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “The Sangh Parivar had never asked for security. The government provided security to RSS on the basis of intelligence reports. But after this decision, will the government withdraw security of all politicians in MP as well?” BJP veteran Babulal Gaur targeted Digvijaya, saying: “Congress removed the security because RSS is anti-Pakistan. The statement by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh (to reinstate security) cannot be taken as his pro-Hindu stance when Congress is anti-Hindu and all Congress leaders are also anti-Hindu. Chanting Jai Shri Ram will not wash away their sins.”
RSS publicity in-charge of Madhya Bharat region, Narendra Jain, said Sangh Parivar had never asked for security. “We never asked the government for security to the RSS office. It was the government’s own decision to deploy a picket. Now the government has decided to remove it on their own,” said Jain.