Karnataka Congress leaders Wednesday sought BJP leaders to furnish registration documents of the RSS, maintaining that it was necessary for the authorities to grant permission for route marches in the state.
While Karnataka IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge asked BJP to end the row by “throwing it (RSS registration documents) at my face”, Congress MLC BK Hariprasad demanded the RSS to reveal the source of funds collected since its formation a century ago.
Kharge and Hariprasad have faced attacks from BJP leaders over ‘targeting’ RSS in the state.
The Karnataka minister had written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to regulate RSS activities at public properties after which the state issued fresh guidelines regarding the use of government properties for events held by organisations.
Permission for an RSS route march in Chittapur, a constituency represented by Kharge, on October 19 was denied, as two Dalit organisations – Dalit Panthers and Bhim Army – also sought permission to carry out a route march on the same day.
Rather than making personal attacks against those talking about the RSS, “let them throw it at my face,” he told reporters Wednesday. “Why are they not following the law of the land? There are some criteria. If they are fulfilled, then it is over,” he said.
On whether the RSS would be allowed to hold a route march at Chittapur, he said that the High Court had asked RSS to seek fresh permission for the route march.
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“If the conditions are right, and if a specific location is identified for it, let them do it. Whatever it may be, let it be evaluated…. Can it be allowed for any organisation, may it be the Congress or the BJP, to tell (authorities) that ‘I am carrying out a route march and will go from point A to point B to point C to point D, and this is for your information. 500-600 of us will march with lathis,’ Will permission be given? Should they seek permission or just inform authorities?” Kharge asked.
Hariprasad, addressing a news conference, said that it was essential for the RSS to submit registration documents while seeking permission for the route march.
“Who will be responsible if anything untoward happens? Unknown accused will be blamed,” he said, adding that the RSS would thus escape scrutiny.
On the RSS being active in 54 nations, he said that the demand to ensure that the organisation is registered is to know the source of its funds.
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“Have they revealed details of the funds the organisation has collected in the last 100 years? That’s where the black money is,” he alleged.
He maintained that the RSS route march with lathis was meant to ‘threaten people’ and opposed the use of lathis in the march. “If they want to take out a route march, they should do it at the Pakistan border or China border,” Hariprasad added.