Sacked RSS Goa chief blames Parrikar, Gadkari for his ouster

Panaji, Sep 1 (PTI) Breaking his silence after beingsacked as the chief of RSS in Goa for attacking BJP over theissue of medium of instruction in schools, Subhash Velingkartoday blamed Union ministers Manohar Parrikar and NitinGadkari for the action against him. Velingkar, who claimed that hundreds of RSS workers andsupporters have rallied behind him, also asserted that theSangh unit in the coastal state will function independently ofthe parent body, at least till the Assembly polls next year. "I was not shocked. I was anticipating it (the ouster).(Manohar) Parrikar and Nitin Gadkari are powerful at theCentre. They have (been) strongly lobbying there. They musthave tried for it. They must have wrongly fed the RSS highcommand," Velingkar told PTI. Velingkar, who was heading the RSS’s state unit, was"relived of his responsibilities" by the Sangh headquarters,for stridently taking on the BJP over the medium ofinstruction issue through Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch(BBSM) floated by him. Action against Velingkar saw a large number of RSSworkers in the state resigning in solidarity with him. "There is a possibility of Gadkari and Parrikarmisreporting to the RSS headquarter on the issue. Parrikar isvery much behind this. For them, I was the only focal pointand they tried to break the (Medium of Instruction) movement.Later they will repent for doing it," said Velingkar. He also said that RSS in Goa will detach itself from themain unit (parent body headquartered in Nagpur) till the StateLegislative Assembly elections (due in March 2017), and afterthat they will request to get associated with the Sangh. "Yesterday there was a meeting of RSS workers. A totalof 600 people were present there. All the workers haveresigned from their posts. Now we have no links with Konkanunit. Today we are going to make a special announcement in theevening. We will make sure that RSS Goa unit is intact andwill play the same role which it used to in the past. Shakhaswill continue, we have all the machinery in place," he said. "We feel that higher-ups faced problem because of ouragitation (led by BBSM). But that is not correct. Their (hisdetractors’) stand is not in consonance with the resolutionadopted at All India level (to protect mother tongue in theirrespective states," Velingkar said. "We are not banking on them (the main RSS), we havedetached Goa unit from Konkan prant (region). We will remainas RSS, we will be RSS Goa. We will continue as RSS. We willreinstate the people (officials on their posts)," he said. Asked whether he would head the RSS Goa, Velingkarsaid they (workers) will decide on it. "We will continue respecting the Sarsanghchalak. We willcontinue this arrangement till (Assembly) elections and afterthat we will request them (main unit) to get us affiliateddirectly," he said. (MORE) RPS DK NMSMN