Goa RSS chief sacked for his anti-BJP stand on language issue

RSS today removed its Goa chief Subhash Velingkar who had crossed swords with ruling BJP government over the medium of instruction issue with members of his outfit even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently, for trying to engage into "political activity" which is contrary to Sangh tradition.

Velingkar, the convener of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) which is fighting for withdrawal of grants to English medium schools and for the cause of promoting regional languages as Medium of Instruction (MOI) in the coastal state, has been at loggerheads with the saffron party as well as Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
 

However, Sangh said they will continue to support BBSM "to strengthen the system for primary education in mother tongue."

"He (Velingkar) has been relieved from his responsibilities. He wanted to get into some political activity. Being a Sangh leader, he cannot do that," RSS' All India Prachar Pramukh Manmohan Vaidya told PTI today.

Vaidya said the decision on new organisational head for the coastal state, where elections are due next year, is yet to be taken.

RSS' Konkan prant Sanghachalak Satish Modh said, "As part of the agitation, BBSM had announced formation of a political party. RSS, since its inception, has never been involved in politics and hence, RSS would have no role in the political endeavour of BBSM.

"With this background, it has been announced at a recent meeting of senior RSS office-bearers in Goa that convener of BBSM, Subhash Velingkar has been relieved from his responsibility as Goa Vibhag Sangh chalak."

Backing BBSM's stand on MoI, Modh stated that RSS is of the view that all efforts should be made to strengthen the system for primary education in mother tongue across the country.

"RSS has supported and will continue to support the cause of agitation in Goa by BBSM which is in consonance with the aforesaid opinion of RSS," Modh said in a statement.

As part of their agitation, BBSM had announced formation of a political outfit to contest the polls, due next year.

Velingkar courted controversy earlier this week by reportedly saying that BJP may not win the election in Goa since it has "betrayed" people's trust by going back on its promise of making regional languages as a medium of instruction in schools.

BBSM had waived black flags to Shah during his visit to Goa on August 20 to launch the party's campaign for state polls.

Shah had reportedly raised the issue with RSS top brass at a meeting last week in Bhopal which was attended by the RSS second-in-command Bhaiyaji Joshi and joint general secretary Krishna Gopal.