The BJP government in Rajasthan has revoked the long-standing ban on government employees participating in RSS activities.
Rajendra Singh Kavia, Joint Secretary of the Department of Personnel, issued a circular referencing previous orders, lifting the 52-year-old prohibition.
According to the circular, after reviewing the directives from 1972 and 1981, it was decided to remove the RSS from the list of organizations whose activities were previously banned.
Earlier, the central government had also lifted a ban on government employees engaging with the RSS.
In a historic move, the Modi government has lifted a 58-year-old ban on government employees participating in the activities of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS). The prohibition, enacted in November 1966 during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was lifted on the 9th of July 2024. The copy of this Department of Personnel and Training’s (DoPT) order was shared on social media by Congress leaders to express their anguish over the undoing of the historic injustice.
“Participation of the Government servants in the activities of RSS regarding. The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM No.3/10(S)/66-Estt. (B) dated 30.11.1966, OM No. 7/4/70-Est. (B) dated 25.07.1970 and OM No. 15014/3(S)/80- Estt. (B) dated 28.10.1980 on the above subject. 2. The aforesaid instructions have been reviewed and it has been decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S) from the impugned OMS dated 30.11.1966, 25.07.1970 and 28.10.1980. 3. This issues with the approval of Competent Authority,” the DoPT’s office memorandum dated 9th July read.
Several states, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, have already removed similar restrictions on government employees associating with the RSS.