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CPI(M) Demands Ban of RSS Shakhas From HPU Campus

Malvika Singh |
The party has decided to send a delegation to hand over a memorandum to the chief election officer and demand action against violation of the Model Code of Conduct by RSS members by converging for shakhas carrying sticks.
cpim

Image Courtesy: sunday Guardian Live

In view of the recent developments of clashes between SFI, RSS and ABVP in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), the State Committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist) organised a press conference in Shimla demanding immediate ban on the “shakhas” being run by the RSS in HPU and other educational institutions from the state government.

The party said, “If the violence of RSS and ABVP in Himachal Pradesh University is not stopped, then the state government will have to face its serious consequences.” They demanded that the Director General of Himachal Pradesh Police should conduct a fair investigation and stop biased investigation against SFI students, and ensure law and order.

They have decided that the party's delegation will hand over a memorandum to the chief election officer and demand action because even as the Model Code of Conduct is in place, dozens of RSS workers are converging for “shakhas” carrying sticks which is creating a hostile environment throughout the city. Describing it as an imminent threat causing violence and chaos in the state and a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct, they have urged the Election Commission to impose full restrictions on the “shakhas” during this period.

Also Read: HPU on the Boil as Clashes Erupt After RSS-ABVP Members Attack SFI Activists

Addressing the press conference, former Mayor of Shimla municipal corporation Sanjay Chauhan accused the state government of giving free exemption to the RSS and ABVP for creating chaos and violence. “Instead of fulfilling its constitutional responsibility, the government is working towards implementing the agenda of the Sangh. In various departments of the government, people associated with the RSS are given important posts. This clearly shows that the Government is promoting the RSS.”

He further said that the Chief Minister’s statement which came after the clashes without knowing the facts of the matter was highly unfortunate and irresponsible which showed his blind faith towards the Sangh. “The Chief Minister is behaving like a novice worker of the RSS, rather than the Chief Minister. In his statement, favouritism is clearly visible and they are strangling the constitutional obligations rather than discharging their responsibilities. The Chief Minister should take off his RSS specs and act as a Chief Minister and stop his work of saving the culprits and take legal action to protect the legal system.”

CPI(M) state secretary-general, Dr. Kuldeep Tanwar has said that efforts are being made to promote saffronisation of the University by allowing “shakhas” of the RSS inside the university, which the Indian Constitution does not permit. “And this is happening at a time when the election process for Lok Sabha elections is going on in the country and the Model Code of Conduct clearly states that at this time a bunch of people cannot be assembled with batons or other weapons. In spite of this, dozens of RSS workers are roaming around and attacked the unarmed students of the university playing cricket.”

He further said that despite all this, students of SFI are being jailed and one-sided action is being taken, but no action has been taken against the students of the RSS and ABVP. He said, “It is clear from this that the trio of state government, police administration and Sangh Parivar does not want to deliberately protect the law system. Due to this discriminatory attitude, students of SFI were attacked outside the Baluganj police station. For the first time in the history of the university, ABVP students were caught with armed with sharp weapons in the girls’ hostel and SFI students in the girls hostel were attacked with sickels and rods. With all this happening, and it being openly supported by the state government and police administration, this can be termed as planned violence. Therefore, it should be stopped immediately.”

Sanjay Chauhan said that there have been many scams in the university in the recent past like distributing outsourced jobs to those connected with the RSS bypassing merit. The students of the university were constantly struggling against these scandals and irregularities under the leadership of SFI, which is why, at the same time, the shakhas of RSS were chosen for organising a planned and organised attack in the university so that a disturbing atmosphere is created for the students to ward off the issues.

Also Read: CPI(M) Demands CBI Probe in HPU Scholarship Scam

Just a few years back, an SC/ST scholarship scam, worth about Rs 250 crore was unearthed in the state. At the same time, there was a prospectus scam of about Rs 21 crore in the university. Then the task of filling the posts advertised for outsourced work in newspapers was allocated to another agency, but by cancelling all the tender process, an agency belonging to the Sangh Parivar was finally given the task, which did not fill the tender. “In this way, the University has become the premises of Sangh Parivar and BJP's corruption. There is a huge scam in recruitments and promotions. In the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the state government, around 250 people have been recruited illegally. To distract public’s attention from all this, the RSS has started shakhas in the university and created violence and chaos, but the students and people will continue to dismantle their scams,” Sanjay Chauhan said.

CPI(M) has demanded that the government discharge its constitutional responsibility with fairness and curb these activities of RSS to maintain law and order in the state. “If the government does not work to fulfill its constitutional responsibility then CPI(M), to protect democracy, shall organise a massive state-wide movement,” the party said.

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