 "Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Photo: PTI")
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday sacked its functionary Kundan Chandravat who had sparked a controversy by announcing a Rs 1 crore bounty for beheading Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
RSS's Madhya Pradesh Head Prakash Shastri issued orders for his removal from all Sangh posts, a day after Chandravat made his statement in Ujjain.
"Chandravat's controversial statement has created a wrong impression about the Sangh. He has been removed from all posts," Shastri said in a letter announcing his removal.
"Kundan Chandravat made a controversial statement at Ujjain meeting, therefore he has been removed from all RSS responsibilities," the saffron body's Sah Prachar Pramukh (joint chief of publicity) J Nanda Kumar said.
Chandravat, the Sah Prachar Pramukh of the RSS in Ujjain, had announced the reward for avenging the killing of its workers in Kerala, allegedly by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) workers.
In a video, which went viral, Chandravat is purportedly seen saying that Pinarayi Vijayan is behind the killings of RSS workers in Kerala and he will pay Rs 1 crore to anyone who beheads him and brings his (Vijayan's) head to him.
He had also claimed that 300 innocent people belonging to the RSS had been killed but the Kerala Chief Minister was turning a blind eye.
His speech sparked an uproar, drawing condemnation from the CPI-M, the Congress and even from the RSS on Thursday.
Late last night, Chandravat retracted his statement and expressed regret.
"I was pained on the issue of murders of Swayamsevaks and therefore made an emotional statement. I retract it (statement) and express my regret," he said in a statement.
Earlier, the RSS distanced itself from Chandravat's remarks and strongly condemned his statement. It said that the Sangh does not believe in violence.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan had rejected the threat with "contempt" and said that RSS indulged in murders in several places.
Just because of that, it is not possible for us not to walk on roads, he said.
Hitting out at the Sangh, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury had tweeted that Chandravat's comments "revealed true colours of RSS as a terrorist outfit".
Yechury had also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government over remarks.
