The security experts speculate that there might be a series of such attacks against RSS affiliated organisations and persons in near future too
Frustrated Congressmen and Leftists who have failed to counter nationalist forces politically seems to have now started resorting to violent means to disturb peace in the country. Two incidents of violent attack at ABVP office and RSS meeting in Mumbai and one in Bengaluru on January 21 where an activist Basavesh got injured, clearly showed this frustration.
On January 23, ABVP’s central office at Matunga West in Mumbai was attacked by some miscreants in the evening. The attackers not only pelted stones but also struck with iron rods and hockey sticks, injuring an ABVP worker, Francis D'suza. Even before the ABVP workers could understood what exactly happened and why, and call the police, a message was circulated in Mumbai's media by the miscreants that the ABVP office was attacked. The message mentioned Rohith Vemula case. But the modus operandi suggested a different story. Police got CCTV footages from nearby establishments and identified the culprits and also the possible political organisations with whom they are linked with. ABVP has directly accused the NSUI—Congress’ student wing—for the attack.
The very next day on January 24, in nearby Dharavi area, which is Asia’s biggest slum, a march, organised by ‘National Forum’ to protest Rohith Vemula’s suicide, deviated from its path and entering a nearby lane attacked a room where a meeting of RSS local unit was going on. The attackers were so violent that one RSS swayamsevak, Maharaj Nadar, sustained serious head injuries. He was hospitalised till the time of writing this report on January 29. Investigation by Organiser reveals a sinister design behind the incident. Organiser spoke to Senior Police Inspector J. More who said the complaints from both the sides have been registered but no arrests have been done so far. He denied that the march participants were equipped to attack. But the facts gathered by Organiser about Dharavi attack reveals a different story:
1) The protest march had no police permission as it was a Republic Day eve and Mumbai was on high alert
2) The protesters were accompanied by lawyers who were identified as Congress supporters
3) The lawyers were already equipped with typed letters accusing RSS for an attack
4) The protesters started pelting stones at the room where the meeting was in progress
5) The policemen were mute spectators, when the miscreants attacked the swayamsevaks
6) The police ignored that the participants of protest march were carrying iron rods and were fully prepared for an attack
7) When the attackers were pelting stones and the swayamsevaks were getting injured, the police remained passive
8) On coming out of the room swayamsevaks were physically attacked by iron rods, then too the police remained passive
9) Despite of all this, the police only took the swayamsevaks to the police station, allowing the attackers go scot free
10) Local Congress leaders and their lawyers were accompanying the protesters and they immediately turned to police station pressurising the police to register one sided cases against RSS swayamsevaks.
11) The messages the attackers sent to media and the presence of the lawyers with pre-typed letters suggest that the attack was pre-planned.
The attack shows a deep-rooted conspiracy on the part of Congress and Left parties. The security experts speculate that there might be a series of such attacks against RSS affiliated organisations and persons in near future also. ABVP Maharashtra organising secretary Devadatta Joshi has called upon the ABVP and RSS workers to remain calm and let the law take its course.
Rajesh Prabhu Salgaonkar
