RSS using temple premises for anti-social activities: Minister
The political battle between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) has intensified in Kerala after the latter came to power in the state following the assembly election held three months back.
The altercations between the two organizations are now centered on the statement of the Temple Affairs Minister Kadakampally Surendran who criticized the RSS for conducting ‘shakhas’ (branches) in temples. He said that the RSS was turning temples into centers for storing arms and the government would not permit it.
“I have received plenty of complaints about its unauthorized activities in temples managed by the Devaswom Boards (autonomous bodies that manage temples). The government will take stern action,” said Surendran on a Facebook on Monday.
“We cannot allow places of worship to become centers of anti-social activities that will destroy the secular characteristics of the society and peaceful co-existence of the people,” he added.
If the government goes ahead with its decision to ban the ‘shakhas’ on the premises of temples, the RSS will have to relocate about 500 of its branches in the state. the organization has 5600 shakhas in the state.
The RSS views the statement of the minister as an attempt to destroy the organization in the state.
“Most of these temples were in ruins before RSS volunteers renovated it. If the minister thinks that the RSS can be destroyed by denying us permission to assemble inside temples, he is living in a fool’s paradise. We can easily find alternative venues. We will start shakhas in front of our houses, or even in our rooms,” P Gopalan Kutty Master, the state chief (or pranth pracharak) of the RSS, told Scroll.
“We are giving lessons on nation building. No Hindu devotee will complain against us. The current issue is created by CPI(M) with an aim to tarnish the RSS,” he added.
The statement of the minister has also provoked the BJP, the political party of the RSS. BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekharan challenged the minister to name the temples where the RSS had stored arms.
“I challenge him to name the temples where RSS have stored weapons. Let police raid the shrines,” Rajashekharan told media persons.
The word fight between the leaders is continuing with BJP state general secretary, MT Ramesh, coming down heavily on the state government headed by the CPI-M.
The battle is, however, not likely to end soon as the BJP and RSS are trying to widen its voter base in the state and the CPI-M, that is witnessing a flow of its workers to the BJP, is going all out to protect its political upper hand in the state.