As Mohan Bhagwat Initiates Major Pro-CAA Drive in Bhopal, MP Cong Leader Says Riots Follow RSS Chief

Bhopal: Hours after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat reached Bhopal on Monday as part of a three-day interactive event with more than 100 pracharaks from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, a Congress leader said wherever the former goes, there is a riot.

During his trip, Bhagwat is expected to 'educate' the youth on the benefits of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). This is his first major drive in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh since nationwide protests erupted against the contentious legislations.

Senior Congress leader Manak Agarwal issued a warning to the state police about the possibility of a riot-like situation in view of the RSS chief’s visit to Bhopal.

"'Mohan Bhagwat Hindustan me jahan jahan jate hain, dange karwate hain. Yahan bhi dange ho sakte hain isliye, Bhopal Police aur prashasan ko alert rahna chahiye (Wherever Mohan Bhagwat goes in the country, riots follow. The same might happen in Bhopal. Hence, the administration and police should be on alert."

BJP MLA Vishwas Sarang immediately called out Agarwal for his remarks and said the latter was only trying to hog limelight by making such comments.

“Before commenting on the RSS pramukh, Agarwal should consider his own position in the party where he is searching for his place. By such comments, Agrawal is only trying to draw people’s attention and find a place in his own party,” Sarang said.

Bhagwat’s campaign is being looked at as a major initiative to counter hostility towards the CAA and NRC outside BJP-ruled states.

Bhopal had emerged as an important RSS nursery during the 15-year rule of the BJP before the Congress returned to power a year ago. Some other key states have also slipped out of the BJP fold since then.

Bhagwat is scheduled to hold talks with RSS pracharaks of Madhya Prant (central zone) and review the Sangh's progress on various fronts and draw up district-wise plans to reach out to the youth, said an RSS functionary.

He is also scheduled to meet leaders of affiliates like Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad — the student wing of the Sangh Parivar — at Saraswati Shishu Mandir's Sharda Vihar residential school.

This is the first such interactive session in five years being held in Madhya Prant and the Sangh would want to revive its activity which peaked during the BJP rule of 15 years, RSS sources said.

The RSS is working to quell the dissent against CAA among the youth who seem to have been disillusioned by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government's failure to address issues like unemployment and the economic slackness afflicting the middle class.

The CAA passed by Parliament on December 11 authorises non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire Indian citizenship.

Critics of the new law contend that it is against the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection to all in India, which is home to about 200 million Muslims.

The Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments have not only opposed the CAA and NRC, they have also encouraged all meetings held in various parts of the two states against the laws.

(With inputs from IANS)