The Narendra Modi-led central government has lifted a decades-old ban on government employees associating with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its activities. The ban, which had been in place since 1966, was officially removed on July 9, as confirmed by a recent order from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The RSS was initially declared an unlawful organization in 1948 following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse, an RSS member. The ban was lifted later that year after assurances of good behaviour from the RSS. However, in 1966, a fresh ban was imposed on government employees participating in RSS activities under the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, citing concerns over the nature of the organization’s activities.
The decision to lift the ban has sparked political debate. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared the order on social media, expressing his disapproval and questioning the timing of the move. Ramesh pointed out that the ban had remained in force even during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a member of the BJP.
Ramesh stated, “After June 4th, 2024, relations between the self-anointed non-biological PM and the RSS have nosedived. On July 9, 2024, the 58-year ban that was in force even during Mr. Vajpayee’s tenure as PM was removed.”
He further criticized the government’s action, saying, “The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose,” referring to the RSS’s traditional uniform of khaki shorts, which was replaced by brown trousers in 2016.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya welcomed the move, describing the original 1966 order as unconstitutional. “The unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on Govt employees taking part in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been withdrawn by the Modi Govt. The original order shouldn’t have been passed in the first place,” Malviya said in a post on X.
