Congress President Kharge Calls for Ban on RSS, Citing Sardar Patel’s 1948 Letter
Mallikarjun Kharge says the RSS should be banned, invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 1948 correspondence that linked the organisation to a climate of violence.
In a strong statement on Friday, Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Indian National Congress, said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) should be banned, citing historical precedent and current concerns over law and order.
Kharge referred to a letter written by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 4 February 1948, in which Patel observed that following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, RSS members had celebrated by distributing sweets an act that, in Patel’s view, helped create a “poisonous” atmosphere of communalism. He argued that the then-government had no option but to take steps against the organisation.
During his press conference, Kharge stated: “These are my personal views and I openly say that there should be one (a ban on the RSS). If the Prime Minister respects the views presented by Sardar Patel, this should be done. All the wrongs in the country and all law & order issues here are due to the BJP and RSS.”
He also blamed the current state of law and order in the country on the partnership between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS, saying: “It is my personal opinion it should be done, as most of the issues and law and order problems are arising because of the BJP-RSS.”
Kharge’s remarks come on the anniversary of Patel’s birth, a time when the Prime Minister visited the Statue of Unity in Gujarat to pay tribute to Patel’s role in integrating India. The Congress leader contended that invoking Patel without honouring his documented concerns about the RSS amounted to an insult to his legacy.
In responding to historical context, Kharge recalled that Patel, as Home Minister in 1948, banned the RSS following Gandhi’s assassination, on the grounds that the group’s activities had created a serious threat to the state’s stability.
The BJP has hit back, accusing the Congress of selectively using Patel’s legacy and ignoring his broader contributions. They say the party is now using historical arguments for political gain.
