RSS plea to exclude it from Hedgewar Samiti PIL rejected

Nagpur: In a setback to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday rejected its application for exclusion of its name from a PIL (No 101/2017) related to largesse extended to Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti in Reshimbagh by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).

The city headquartered organization, which is in news over its inclusion in the Nagpur University curriculum, had filed a civil application for keeping it outside the purview of the PIL.

The PIL was filed by social activist Janardhan Moon, through counsel Ashwin Ingole, contending that though RSS is an unregistered organization, yet the civic body extended undue favours to it at taxpayers’ expense. The HC has already admitted the PIL for final hearing on October 3 last year, despite opposition from the saffron organization.

Quoting various media reports, Moon pointed out that proposal to build compound wall and internal roads Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti in Reshimbagh was first moved by the ruling party leader Sandip Joshi and former mayor Pravin Datke. The standing committee under then chairman Sandeep Jadhav later cleared the proposal on September 12, 2017, with a majority of votes, even as Congress corporators opposed the move.

Citing precarious financial condition of the NMC, leader of opposition in the civic body Tanaji Wanve too had opposed the proposal. Manoj Sangole, Harish Gwalbansi and Ansari Sayeeda Begum of Congress and Jitendra Ghodeswar of BSP too had registered their protest.

Moon later moved the high court against the NMC decision.

In its defence, the NMC informed the HC on January 31 last year that Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti’s premises was granted status of a “tourist place” about two decades back and it’s a “place of reverence”. TOI, in a series of reports, highlighted that though rules make an exception for notified tourist sites or pilgrim places like Deekshabhoomi, the RSS headquarters is neither of these.

The petitioner contended that the BJP-ruled corporation always cites financial crunch when it comes carrying out important works like road, pothole repairs, street lights installation and gutter line repairs. Every year, rains badly expose the tall claims of the NMC that roads are in good condition while in reality most are riddled with potholes, the petitioner said. Even schools run by the civic body are in pathetic condition, but its officials claim fund crunch and initiate no steps to improve the situation.

“The civic body does not have funds to build stormwater drain network which often leads to rainwater entering homes, but when it comes to RSS, corporators go out of the way to extend undue favours to please their masters, Moon argued.

‘No occupancy certificate to RSS HQ’

Amid the controversies surrounding the RSS, an RTI activist has claimed that Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti is without occupancy certificate. Activist Mohnish Jabalpure said the NMC, in reply to his query, informed that the civic body’s public works committee from Hanuman Nagar Zone has not given occupancy certificate (OC) to Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti housing RSS headquarters.