These documents also carry comments of a contemporary senior officer of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) on the linkages of the killers with RSS. Another shocking document is from 2013, the Goa conference for the “Formation of the Hindu nation” organised by the Hindu Janjagruti Samity which was inaugurated with a congratulatory message from Narendra Modi (then chief minister of Gujarat), during which Gandhiji’s killing was celebrated.

FEBRUARY, 4, 1948 UNION GOVERNMENT COMMUNIQUÉ BANNING RSS: 

“Undesirable and even dangerous activities have been carried on by members of the Sangh. It has been found that in several parts of the country individual members of the RSS have indulged in acts of violence involving arson, robbery, dacoity, and murder and have collected illicit arms and ammunition. They have been found circulating leaflets exhorting people to resort to terrorist methods, to collect firearms, to create disaffection against the government and suborn the police and the military.”
[Cited in Justice on Trial, RSS, Bangalore, 1962, pp. 65-66.]

SARDAR PATEL LETTER TO NEHRU:    FEBRUARY 27,1948

“All the main accused have given long and detailed statements of their activities. In one case, the statement extends to ninety typed pages. From their statements, it is quite clear that no part of the conspiracy took place in Delhi…It also clearly emerges from these statements that the RSS was not involved at all. It was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha directly under Savarkar that (hatched) the conspiracy and saw it through. It also appears that the conspiracy was limited to some ten men, of whom all except two have been got hold of.”
(RSS supporters quote the above part of Sardar’s letter and hide the following text of the same letter which is very significant)

The letter continues: “In the case of secret organization like the RSS which has no records, registers, etc. securing of authentic information whether a particular individual is active worker or not is rendered a very difficult task.”
[V. Shankar, Sardar Patel: Select Correspondence 1945-50, Navjivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1977, p. 283-85 ]

SARDAR PATEL LETTER TO SYAMA PRASAD MOOKERJEE: JULY 18,1948

“As regards the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhiji’s murder is sub judice and I should not like to say anything about the participation of the two organizations, but our reports do confirm that, as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible. There is no doubt in my mind that the extreme section of the Hindu Mahasabha was involved in the conspiracy. The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of Government and the State. Our reports show that those activities, despite the ban, have not died down. Indeed, as time has marched on, the RSS circles are becoming more defiant and are indulging in their subversive activities in an increasing measure.”
[Letter 64 in Sardar Patel: Select Correspondence1945-1950, volume 2, Navjivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1977, pp. 276-77.]

SARDAR PATEL LETTER TO THE THEN SUPREMO OF RSS, M S GOLWALKAR: SEPTEMBER 19, 1948

“Organising the Hindus and helping them is one thing but going in for revenge for its sufferings on innocent and helpless men, women and children is quite another thing…Apart from this, their opposition to the Congress, that too of such virulence, disregarding all considerations of personality, decency or decorum, created a kind of unrest among the people. All their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread poison in order to enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection. As a final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji. Even an iota of the sympathy of the Government, or of the people, no more remained for the RSS. In fact opposition grew. Opposition turned more severe, when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed sweets after Gandhiji’s death. Under these conditions it became inevitable for the Government to take action against the RSS…Since then, over six months have elapsed. We had hoped that after this lapse of time, with full and proper consideration the RSS persons would come to the right path.” But from the reports that come to me, it is evident that attempts to put fresh life into their same old activities are afoot.”
[Cited in Justice on Trial, RSS, Bangalore, 1962, pp. 26-28.]

COMMENT OF A SENIOR ICS WHO WAS FIRST HOME SECRETARY OF UP

“Came January 30, 1948 when the Mahatma, that supreme apostle of peace, felt to a bullet fired by an RSS fanatic. The tragic episode left me sick at heart.”
[Rajeshwar Dayal, A Life of Our Times, Orient Longman, 94.]

Cartoons like this were published in Hindutva publications which created hatred against Gandhiji

MODI AS CHIEF MINISTER OF GUJARAT SENT A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO GOA HINDU RASHTRA CONFERENCE (2013) WHERE GANDHI’S ‘VADH’ WAS CELEBRATED. THIS REFLECTS THE RSS’ HATRED FOR GANDHIJI EVEN TODAY.

Goa in June 2013 for the BJP executive committee meeting Gujarat CM, Modi sent a message to the ‘All India Hindu Convention for Establishment of Hindu Nation’ organised by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on JUNE 7TH. Modi’s message read: “Even though every Hindu conducts himself with love, compassion and intimacy with god, giving precedence to non-violence, truth and “satvikta”, repelling demoniacal tendencies is in our destiny. It is our tradition to remain alert and raise a voice against persecution…Only by protecting our culture, can the flag of “dharma” and unity be kept intact. Organisations inspired by nationalism, patriotism and devotion for the Nation are true manifestations of people’s power.”

On the third day from the same dais in this convention from where Modi’s felicitation message was read, one of the prominent speakers, K.V. Sitaramiah, declared that Gandhi was ‘terrible, wicked and most sinful’. Rejoicing the killing of M.K. Gandhi, he went on to declare, “As Bhagwan Shri Krishna said in the Gita, ParitranayaSadhunamVinashaya Cha Dushkritam/ DharamasansthapnayaSambhavamiYuge-Yuge (For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age) On…30th January 1948 evening, Shriram came in the form of Nathuram Godse and ended the life of Gandhi.”

Let me add that K.V. Sitaramaiah has also authored a book titled ‘Gandhi was Dharma Drohi and DesaDrohi’ in which the back cover matter, quoting from the epic Mahabharat, demands ‘Dharma Drohis must be killed’, ‘Not killing the deserved to be killed is great sin’ and ‘where the members of Parliament seeing clearly allow to kill Dharma & truth as untruth, those members will be called dead’.

Copy of the CM Modi’s felicitation letter to Hindu Janjagruti Samity

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sabrangindia.

Related:

Temples should propagate equal respect to all religions: Gandhi on inaugurating Birla Temple

Real History: Gandhi’s Murder, Godse & the RSS

Urging preventive action against hate offenders, Gandhiji’s grandson, Tushar urges Navi Mumbai police to act

The post 76th Anniversary of Gandhiji’s Martyrdom: Killers identified by Sardar Patel, then Home Minister of India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Akal Takht chief Giani Harpreet Singh 

In a reiteration of his statement, Akal Takht Chief Giani Harpreet Singh has called for a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) saying that the statements made by the leaders of the Sangh aren’t in the interest of the country.

Speaking to a group of reporters in Amritsar, urging the BJP government to put checks on the Hindutva outfit, he said, “Yes, it should be banned. I believe what the RSS is doing will create divisions in the country. The statements being made by RSS leaders are not in the country’s interests.”

His comments regarding the RSS have come shortly after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that “Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra”. In his speech, Bhagwat had said, “The vision and proclamation of the Sangh regarding the identity of the nation, social identity of all of us, and the identity of the country’s nature, are clear, well-thought-of and firm that Bharat is Hindustan, Hindu Rashtra”.

The RSS planned to celebrate the 550^th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Speaking about this, Singh said, “We have no problem if RSS celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. But they must celebrate it under the Sikh code of conduct and must not violate any rule, trading or ritual of Sikhism”.

Giani Harpreet Singh’s first remark had come at a Sikh conference he was addressing at Sri Anandpur Sahib on October 10. Terming the RSS a threat to minorities, he said, “Announcement by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to convert India into a Hindu nation will prove extremely dangerous for the country”.

This statement against the RSS by the highest authority of the religious authority of Sikhism is a significant one.

Prior to this, The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) President Gobind Singh Longowal too had condemned Bhagwat’s statement saying that his call for a Hindu Rashtra was a contempt of the constitution. He added that India was a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual country and all the religions here had their own history, principles and way of living.

It must be noted that the SGPC is controlled by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is an alliance of the BJP.

Giani Harpreet Singh
Giani Harpreet Singh, the son of a Granthi and a master’s degree holder in comparative religion has come to be a vocal critic of the Hindutva laden narrative of the RSS and BJP.

The abrogation of Article 370 by the BJP government had received strong criticism from Punjab. The Akal Takht Chief had issued a statement urging Sikhs to protect Kashmiri women in all adverse circumstances.

Singh, who has on several occasions openly condemned the BJP and RSS, is a PhD from Punjabi University in Patiala. Having done a comparative study on the Guru Granth Sahib and Quran, he is a stoic supporter of inter-faith solidarity and an advocate of minority rights.

His condemnation of the RSS is also an implied remark on the SAD which has links with the Sangh.

SGPC / Akal Takht Vs RSS / BJP
In February 2019, the SGPC and Akal Takht had hit out at the BJP when it the party had tried to meddle in matters of the appointment of the President of the Takht Hazur Sahib Nanded Board. Giani Harpreet Singh had then accused the BJP of “political interference in religious matters”.

The SGPC President Longowal too had said that the BJP had a hidden motive to appoint an RSS-minded Sikh as the president of the board, something that wouldn’t be acceptable at any cost.
In 2014, the then Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh had asked Sikhs to boycott an RSS event that was organized to celebrate Guru Gobind Singh’s 350^th birth anniversary.

In a press statement he had said, “We cannot allow assimilation of Sikh history into other religion. It cannot be tolerated. Sikhs are a separate community, with separate identity, we have our own unique history. Sikhs never interfere in the religious beliefs, traditions and history of other faiths and they cannot tolerate interference into Sikh religion.”

A 2004 hukamnama (directive) issued by the Akal Takht had asked all Sikhs to stay away from the RSS, citing it to be “anti-Panthic”.
 
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