Lift Ban on Government Employees Joining RSS Activities

New Delhi: The Government Employees National Confederation, affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), demanded the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to lift ban on the Central Government employees from joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities. In a letter to the PM on October 20, 2018 the Confederation urged for amendment in the CCS (Conduct) Rules for lifting the ban. The letter said that in accordance with the provisions of DP & AR OM No. 15014/3/(S)/80-Estt. (B), dated 28.10.1980, there is a ban on the Central Government employees participating in the RSS activities.

As per a Gazette Notification, dated July 3-4, 1975, certain organisations including the RSS were banned under the provisions of Rule 33 of the Defence and Internal Security of India Rules, 1971. “This rule, inter alia, provided that no person shall:- (a) Manage or assist in managing any organization to which the rule applies; (b) Promote or assist in promoting a meeting or any member of such an organization, or attend any such meeting in any capacity; (c) publish any notice or advertisement relating to any such meeting; and (d) invite persons to support such an organisation or otherwise in any way assist the operations of such an organization,” the letter written to the PM said. Interestingly, any person who contravenes any of the provisions of the above rule is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine or with both!

Consequent upon formation of the Janata Party Government, ban on RSS was lifted and the Ministry of Home Affairs (vide Department of Personnel & A.R., OM No. 34013/4/(S)/77-Estt. (B), dated the 23rd April, 1977) issued a clarification which said: “Please refer to this Department’s Office Memorandum No. 18011/1/(S)/75-Ests.(B) dated the 28th November, 1975, (decision No. 15). Consequent upon the lifting of the ban on organizations such as R.S.S., Jamaat-e-Islami, Anand Marg and CP (ML) etc. the November, 1975 OM referred to above relating to the aforesaid organizations may be treated as deleted.”

But after the formation of Congress Government in 1980, once again the ban on participation was imposed vide DP & AR OM No. 15014/3/(S)/80-Estt. (B), dated 28.10.1980. The 1980 order directed the Ministry of Finance to specially bring once again to the notice of all Government employees this particular provision and emphasised that any disregard of the instructions would be considered as a serious act of indiscipline and suitable action would be initiated against the erring employees. That order is valid till date and has not been superseded.

The Confederation’s letter clarified that the RSS is a social service organisation and many Government employees may be interested in joining social activities. “…due to this ban and the fear of disciplinary action, they are not able to lend their hand in a genuine cause of Nation Building,” Shri Sadhu Singh, Secretary General of the Confederation said. He appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter personally and direct the concerned Ministry to issue necessary amendments permitting the government employees to participate in nation-building activities. In 2000, the Keshubhai Patel-led BJP government in Gujarat had lifted the ban on the participation of state government employees in activities of the RSS that was in force through the Union Government guidelines.