In what is being characterized as a significant event, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) organized a large protest march outside the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, on Friday. This demonstration is viewed as a direct challenge to the ideological dominance of the RSS.
The protest, which drew considerable participation from local Ambedkarite political groups and organizations, was declared by the VBA as “the first time in independent India that a political group has demonstrated right outside an RSS office.”
Sujat Ambedkar, the VBA leader and great-grandson of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, addressed the crowd, emphasizing the event as a peaceful assertion of the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
In an interview with Maktoob, Ambedkar stated, “We went there not to provoke violence but to remind the RSS that no organization stands above the Constitution of India.” He also noted that the VBA intended to present three symbolic gifts to the RSS: a copy of the Indian Constitution, a national flag, and a copy of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act. The Constitution was offered to compel the RSS to operate within the constitutional framework, while the national flag was to urge them to honor it appropriately and cease observing Independence Day, August 15, as a “black day.” The Maharashtra Public Trust Act was suggested to help the RSS, which is unregistered, comply with Indian law.
However, RSS members reportedly left the office before the demonstrators could arrive, claiming that the office was “closed.” The gifts were ultimately accepted by Aurangabad’s Deputy Commissioner of Police on behalf of the RSS. Ambedkar expressed confusion about the extensive police presence, stating, “I don’t know why so much police was required for political people having national emblem, constitution, and tricolor in their hands.”
The protest was a response to a recent campaign encouraging students to join the RSS at the Polytechnic College of Aurangabad. Some students from Samyak Vidhyarthi College, a VBA-affiliated group, attempted to question the organizers of the campaign, leading to criminal charges being filed against several students.
Ambedkar raised concerns over the legality of the RSS’s campaign and its operations within educational institutions. He asked, “Why does an organization that goes against the very soul of the nation run a drive inside a college campus, especially without proper permission?”
He criticized the RSS for shutting its doors during the protest, describing their actions as indicative of their reluctance to accept democratic ideals. “The fact that they shut their doors and ran away shows that the RSS still harbors hatred toward the Constitution and the national flag,” Ambedkar asserted.
The protest in Aurangabad is seen as a bold confrontation in Maharashtra’s ideological landscape, where the VBA has accused the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of eroding social justice and secular principles.
Siddharth Mokle, the VBA’s chief spokesperson, told Maktoob, “If anyone has the strength to confront the RSS, it is only Babasaheb Ambedkar and his descendants.” He emphasized that the country should be governed according to Dr. Ambedkar’s Constitution and called for the RSS to legally register itself.
Farukh Ahmad, the VBA’s state vice-president, added, “Those who live in India but do not respect India’s Constitution, India’s national flag, or India’s national emblem are traitors to the country.” He challenged the RSS’s legal status and insisted on accountability.
During his address, Ambedkar concluded, “This is not just a protest; it’s a warning. The Constitution belongs to the people, not to Nagpur. The RSS can’t hide from it forever.”
The post titled “Why Ambedkarites Protest Against RSS in Maharashtra?” first appeared on Maktoob media.
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