After sacking Velingkar, RSS to name new committee for Goa

Unfazed by the RSS workers' move to split from Konkan region in the wake of the removal of Goa unit chief Subhash Velingkar, the Sangh today said a new committee will be announced for the state in a day or two.

"Goa prant (region) cannot be different from Konkan prant (region). No one can disassociate from Konkan prant and then after some time urge RSS to take them in main fold," RSS All India Prachar Pramukh, Manmohan Vaidya told PTI today.

His comments came hours after RSS workers in Goa announced their detachment from the parent body and formed a separate Goa prant of Sangh, which was earlier under Konkan region.
 

"Last night several RSS workers resigned their posts. We have now split from Konkan 'prant' forming a separate RSS Goa 'prant'," Velingkar told reporters earlier in the day.

He said the RSS office-bearers will detach themselves from the parent body until Goa Legislative Assembly elections are over and would approach for re-affiliation thereafter.

However, Vaidya said, "Konkan prant will announce new office-bearers for Goa in a day or two. There is no system of dissociating themselves for some time in RSS," Vaidya said.

"Velingkar continues to be a RSS 'swayamsevak', but he has been relieved as Goa Vibhag Sangh chalak," Vaidya added.

Playing down the resignation by 300 RSS members last night, including some office-bearers, Vaidya said, "It is not possible that such a huge number of 'swayamsevaks' or office- bearers would resign from Sangh. If someone has resigned, they can withdraw their resignation."

Velingkar, who was removed from the key post by the RSS yesterday, said the workers have "reinstated" him as the Goa Prant Sangh Chalak.

He was sacked in the wake of his forum Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) persistently challenging the BJP and its government in the state as part of its campaign and even showed a black flag to the party chief Amit Shah during a recent visit to the state.

BBMS has been demanding that primacy be given to regional languages like Konkani and Marathi as the medium of instruction in schools and also wants the grants given to the English-medium institutes stopped.