A remark by Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya at an RSS-linked event in Bhopal has triggered a political controversy, after a video of his speech surfaced.
Speaking at the programme, the BJP leader said many people were eager to join the RSS and that the organisation had expanded. He added that with more people joining, “crowding” had increased and claimed there was now a shortage of people with “good character”.
Vijayvargiya also alleged that since the BJP formed the government in Madhya Pradesh under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, senior officials in the administration have been showing interest in associating themselves with the RSS. He cited an instance of an official telling him he had attended a “shakha”, and questioned why the official had not said so earlier.
Reacting strongly, state Congress president Jitu Patwari said the growing trend of ideological identification within the bureaucracy was a threat to neutrality and democratic values. He urged President Droupadi Murmu and the Madhya Pradesh Governor to take note and order a review of government employees’ neutrality, stressing that officials must remain loyal to the nation and the administration as per the Constitution.
