New Delhi, Mar 15: RSS today challenged Congress and Delhi Mayor Joyshree Panwar to ban its 'shakhas' in public parks in the capital even as it announced its activists would participate in VHP's 'Satyagraha' programme this month in support of "legal" claim on the undisputed land in Ayodhya. Dismissing news reports, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav also backed BJP on taking "disciplinary" action against its senior leader and Union Minister Shanta Kumar for blaming former Himachal Pradesh chief minister P K Dhumal for the party's debacle in the recent assembly polls. Indicating that Panwar's statement on stopping 'Shakhas' could take political shape in view of the Delhi Assembly elections due later this year, Madhav told reporters here that if any action was taken, the Congress would "pay" for it.
"Nobody, except the Sangh itself, can stop holding of 'Shakhas' anywhere," he asserted.
Maintaining that MCD had "no authority" to stop such gatherings, he said if any action was taken in this regard, the RSS would respond "legally". Madhav termed Panwar's utterances as "unnecessary" and said that if the mayor was concerned about maintenance of the parks, "she should not bother as Swyamsevaks take care of upkeep".
"We do not want politics over the issue but it has already been raised by her utterances," he said.
Bureau Report