Bhopal, June 27 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has triggered a political debate with his remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that although the organisation has expanded significantly after the BJP came to power, there is a growing shortage of “good human beings” within its ranks.

The BJP leader’s comments come at a time when the Congress has intensified its attack on the RSS and the BJP over alleged financial irregularities linked to the Ram Mandir and has questioned the organisation’s transparency and accountability.

Speaking at a programme on Friday in Bhopal, Vijayvargiya said many government officials now claim to have longstanding ties with the RSS after the BJP formed the government.

“Every officer who joins our government says, ‘I too have worn the belt and shorts of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.’ After the government came to power, everyone became associated with the Sangh. One officer told me his father used to attend RSS shakhas, while another said his father was the president of a shakha, although there is no such post,” Vijayvargiya said.

He said the rapid expansion of the organisation should not come at the cost of its core values and character.

“Today, there are crowds of all kinds, yet there is a scarcity of good human beings amidst them. This is the reality. The organisation is growing, and the ideology is spreading too. But if there are no good human beings, what is the significance of this ideology? We need to reflect deeply on this,” he said.

Recalling some prominent senior RSS workers present at the programme, Vijayvargiya described them as examples of individuals whose integrity and commitment embodied the organisation’s ideals.

He said such personalities were becoming increasingly rare and called for introspection within the organisation.

His remarks have assumed political significance as they coincide with renewed Opposition criticism of the RSS.

–IANS

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