Bhopal, Nov 13 ( UNI) Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday dared incumbent CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to get a 'new law' passed by the Modi government in the centre that would allow officials keep 'working relations' with the RSS.
"Let the chief minister Mr Chouhan manage a new law from the Modi government. Otherwise as per the existing norms under the central law is concerned, the government officials cannot maintain any relation with the RSS. It is clear," Mr Singh told reporters here commenting on the row after the Congress manifesto mentioned about imposing restrictions on officials maintaining relations with Sanghparivar fountainhead.
"Even till today, with Narendra Modi government in the centre, there is a law that no one can participate in RSS Shakhas (morning meetings)," Mr Singh said.
Answering questions, he said media is being unfair to Congress in raking up RSS row while the Congress party manifesto speaks in details about other welfare measures and developmental mission for the state.
He said Congress has "not said" anything about banning the RSS but made a sarcastic remark saying the organisation was banned once by none other than Sardar Vallabhbahi Patel after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
A big row has surfaced in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh over the Congress manifesto and BJP leaders have repeatedly lashed out at Congress for showing disrespect to RSS.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP state unit chief Rakesh Singh have flayed the Congress for directing their tirade against what they said a 'nationalist' organisation.
"When I became Chief MInister, I allowed that the government servants can maintain relations with the RSS and also attend their meetings," Mr Chouhan has said.
"If an employee attends an RSS shakha, there’s nothing wrong in it,’’ Chief Minister has said.
The restriction on government employees attending RSS 'shakhas' was first imposed in 1981 and revived in 2000 by the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh led by the chief minister Digvijaya Singh. It remained in force even after the BJP came to power in 2003 under Uma Bharati and Babulal Gaur.
But after Mr Chouhan, who succeeded Babulal Gaur, removed the restrictions in November 2005.
To a question on rebellion in Congress, the former Chief Minister, who has been asked to talk to the dissident candidates, sought to make light of the challenge and said "the BJP has more rebel candidates than us....and whatever we have, by November 14 the last date of withdrawal, we will get it to minimum and near negligible numbers".
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