Goa RSS chief removed for taking on BJP on medium issue

Panaji, Aug 31 (PTI) RSS Goa chief Subhash Velingkar, whohas taken a strident stance against the ruling BJP over theissue of medium of instruction and even showed black flag tothe party chief Amit Shah recently, has been removed from thepost by the Sangh. Velingkar had also announced his plans to float a newpolitical outfit, ahead of the Assembly polls in the coastalstate to take forward the cause of regional languages likeKonkani and Marathi as Medium of Instruction (MOI) and againstthe state Government’s policy of supporting English mediumschools. The communication regarding removal of Velingkar as GoaVibhag Sangh Chalak was received by him on Tuesday from theRSS headquarters in Nagpur. "He has been relieved from his responsibilities. He wantedto get into some political activity. Being a Sangh leader hecan’t do that," RSS All India Prachar Pramukh Manmohan Vaidyatold PTI today. Vaidya said the decision on new organisational head forthe coastal state is yet to be taken. Velingkar is leading Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch(BBSM), a front which has been demonstrating across the stateagainst the decision of the BJP-led government in the stateto give grants to English medium Schools. As a part of the demonstration, the BBSM had showed blackflags to Shah at Bambolim during his visit here on August 20. Once a staunch supporter of Defence Minister ManoharParrikar, Velingkar had also fell out with him recently for"taking a u-turn" on the MOI issue. Reacting to the development, Chief Minister LaxmikantParsekar said it is an internal matter of the Sangh and we(BJP) have nothing to it. "I came to know about it through media," Parsekar added.PTI RPS NRB NMSMJ