Nothing wrong with it, says collector pictured doing RSS salute at Madhya Pradesh event

The Congress and BJP have been embroiled in a war of words ever since a picture surfaced showing two officials participating in a prayer during an RSS event on June 11

"There is nothing wrong in attending the event. It was a public event attended by thousands of people. There is no ban on public officials attending such an event," Satna district collector Anurag Verma said. (Express archives/Representational)

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A district collector in Madhya Pradesh, who has come under criticism from the opposition Congress for attending an RSS event, has told The Indian Express he sees nothing wrong in it.

“There is nothing wrong in attending the event. It was a public event attended by thousands of people. There is no ban on public officials attending such an event. Several senior dignitaries attended it. Elections are coming in the state and a controversy has erupted because of that,” Satna district collector Anurag Verma said.

The Congress and BJP have been embroiled in a war of words ever since a picture surfaced showing Verma and Satna Municipal Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Shahi participating in a prayer during an RSS event on June 11.

Asked about the photo showing him doing the RSS salute, Verma said, “I am a Hindu. When I go to the temple, I bow to the gods. If I go to a mosque or a church, I follow their rituals.”

Shahi did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment.

The Congress has demanded that such officials be kept away from preparations of the MP Assembly polls scheduled for year-end, while the BJP has said this shows the Congress’s “hatred” for the RSS.

The Congress also said they will make a complaint to the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training.

State Congress media department chairman K K Mishra, who tweeted the picture of the two officials, said, “This behaviour is not expected from civil servants. It can’t be expected that such officials will perform their duty without bias in the assembly polls.”

Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha demanded that the Election Commission of India keep such leaders away from poll preparation.

BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said, “There is no ban on civil servants participating in RSS events. There is nothing illegal in doing that. The RSS is a cultural organisation, it works for the society. The RSS works under constitutional arrangements, it’s a democratic, social and cultural organisation.”

In 2018, the Congress had in its election manifesto promised to prohibit government employees from taking part in activities of the RSS and to disallow activities of RSS shakhas on government premises.

A restriction on participating in RSS shakhas was first imposed by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh in 1981 and revived in 2000 when Digvijaya Singh was chief minister. The order warned employees of disciplinary action under MP Civil Service (classification, control and appeal) Rules of 1966 if they were found attending RSS shakhas or the organisation’s activities.

In September 2006, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lifted the restriction, saying the RSS is a “socio-cultural organisation and not a political entity”. Justifying the decision, Chouhan had said, “The ban was imposed out of prejudice.”