M A I N   N E W S

Arjun announces war on RSS
Mum on reservation
Smriti Kak Ramachandran
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 30
Union Minister for HRD, Arjun Singh on Sunday trained his guns on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in a bid to deflect attention from himself and the controversy surrounding his utterances on the reservation for OBCs.

The Minister’s decision to “wipe out the RSS” for which he made an impassioned appeal for help from civil society is in the backdrop of a case pending against him in the Punjab and Haryana High Court that is scheduled for hearing soon.

By announcing a war on the RSS, which he described as a “sacred task” the minister, who sees himself as the messiah of the minorities and the backward class, is also aiming to reaffirm his secular credentials.

“I have so much evidence against the activities of the RSS that can be brought before the court that they will not only feel sorry for this, but the Indian polity will be happy for this,” the Minister said, adding that he is not hoping for any relief in the case.

And, this is not the first time that Mr Singh has played the secular card. He had taken on the former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao on the Babri Masjid issue, which has now resurfaced with the release of Rao’s book.

Refusing to as much as refer to the word “reservation”, Mr Singh, who claims his “lips are sealed”, in his address to the media here today used the occasion to highlight his fight against the RSS.

Making it apparent that he would not discuss the issue of reservation, Mr Singh did give an indication that he has taken exception to his cabinet colleague Kapil Sibal’s comments opposing the proposed quota.

“There is a decorum within the members of the Cabinet and I would not like to violate it. If anyone makes a comment, then I think I should bring it to the Prime Minister’s attention, who will then do the best,” he said in reply to a question seeking his reaction to the statement made by Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.

Sibal had, earlier this week, indicated his opposition to the HRD Minister’s proposal for hiking the reservation of seats in higher educational institutions on the basis that it would have a negative impact on India’s ability to compete in the world.

While Arjun Singh who maintains that “speaking out of turn is not desirable” has raised the issue with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, who was travelling with Sibal in Hannover where the comment was made. Sibal on his part has clarified that his references made abroad about excellence was not in context of either quota reservation or constitutional amendment.

Mr Singh however did have a word of advise for the protesting students, “I appeal to them…don’t listen to those who are instigating you,” he said.

Dismissing contentions that despite being in the vanguard of the Congress, he was being sidelined, he said, “I am getting what I should and don’t feel deprived.” He also ruled out fissures within the Congress over ideological differences.

He also sought to downplay his meeting with former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, embroiled in the Volcker controversy, saying he met the latter as a “Congressperson”.

Mr Singh said no specific issues were discussed during the meeting yesterday and that the Congress has no role in the Volcker controversy.