Weeks after Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri courted controversy around his remarks about the RSS, the issue was raised in Assembly once more on Thursday, March 24. On Thursday, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a reference to the organisation, while speaking about his personal equations with some BJP leaders and Ministers. To this, the Speaker responded, "Why are you feeling troubled about our RSS?"
Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan asked Kageri how he could say “our RSS” while sitting in the Speaker’s chair. Kageri responded saying, "What else, if not our RSS? Yes....it is our RSS. RSS is ours....Zameer, I'm telling you one thing, if not today some day in the future, in our country, even you will have to say our RSS — definitely." Opposition leaders raised their voices against this, with Siddaramaiah saying that he is against the ‘Manuvad’ that the RSS is spreading.
However, BJP ministers were quick to defend the Speaker. Revenue Minister R Ashoka said that the RSS has become "Sarva Vyapi and Sarva Sparshi" (ubiquitous and omnipresent). "Our country's President, Vice President, Prime Minister, are all from RSS, everyone has to accept it now....it is our good fortune," he claimed, amidst some Congress legislators calling it the country's "misfortune".
On Thursday, the legislators recalled in Assembly how Kageri had in February defended the RSS. The opposition was demanding the dismissal of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa for his remark that the saffron flag may replace the national flag someday. “RSS is a nationalist organisation working to unite Hindus. You should support their activities. Don’t bring RSS into this. If you have political differences, sort them out instead of linking it to the RSS,” Kageri had said.
On Thursday, Eshwarappa said, "All Muslims and Christians in the country, if not today, some day in the future, will become (associate themselves with) RSS. There is no doubt about it."
Taking objection to the Speaker's statement associating himself with RSS, Congress MLA Priyank Kharge, pointing out that he had spoken from the Chair about constitutional values during a debate on constitution last year said, "You had then claimed you are for constitution, now you are saying that you are in favour of RSS."
With PTI inputs