Revolting RSSwalas form Goa prant

PANAJI: In another first for the RSS, the sangh’s Goa unit led by Subhash Velingkar revolted further and formed the RSS Goa prant on Thursday evening, which will function independently and ‘directly report to RSS headquarters Nagpur’.
Soon after the formation of the new prant, Velingkar, who was sacked as state chief late on Tuesday night, appointed himself as its chief.
To pre-empt the appointment of a new RSS chief for Goa by the sangh, the state RSS leaders held a meeting on Thursday where it decided to declare an independent prant, so that the RSS in Goa is in control of the existing leaders.
The RSS immediately swung into action and stated that Velingkar's actions are illegal and violate the sangh discipline. The RSS was working overnight to reorganize the entire unit to purge the rebels.
RSS all-India prachar pramukh Manmohan Vaidya said on Thursday, “No unit of RSS can dissociate from a prant on its own. It is a decision of the kendra. Goa unit of RSS is and will remain a vibhag of the Konkan prant. New office-bearers of Goa Vibhag will be announced shortly.” He said that the sangh trains swayamsevaks about primacy to the organization and not to individuals. “We shall see what they are doing and where they are going,” said Vaidya on being asked about disgruntled RSS members floating their own organization in Goa.
Velingkar had earlier said that, so far, Goa was a vibhag (part) of the Konkan RSS prant, “but henceforth will operate as Goa prant and will take its own decisions”. He added that the Goa prant of the RSS will be directly affiliated to the RSS headquarters. He said they are yet to approach Nagpur for the creation of a separate prant. The grouse of Velingkar’s supporters was that the Konkan prant relieved the Goa RSS chief from his post.
Velingkar, who maintained that he was removed without any justification, referred to BJP as ‘gaddar’ (traitor). “We will show them (BJP) their place. They should not take the sangh for granted,” he said, and further claimed that this move on the part of the state unit of the outfit is a first of its kind experiment in the country.
“We don’t require RSS headquarters’ approval to constitute the RSS Goa prant, neither have we approached them. Let Nagpur announce that we have disassociated, still there is no problem if we function,” Velingkar said. “It is Goa’s own RSS. We will report to Nagpur irrespective of whether they give their approval or not,” he added.
In the same vein, Velingkar said, “Till the assembly elections, the Goa prant will not report to Nagpur. We will listen to the voice of our conscience in case Nagpur issues any order. If the order is against our conscience, then the order will not be applicable to Goa prant.”
Stating the he will not contest the assembly polls, Velingkar said if any RSS member wants to contest the elections, then that member would be relieved from his post and would be allowed to contest.
Further, reiterating his earlier statement in which he had called Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar “baap of liars”, the chief of Goa prant said Parrikar had lied to both Hindus and Christians about the medium of instruction (MoI) issue.
Parrikar and Union minister for road transport and highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari (who is also Goa in-charge of BJP for the 2017 assembly elections) ganged up and conspired to oust him as chief of Goa RSS, Velingkar said. “Parrikar, to save his government, and Gadkari to clear the hurdle in the path of the BJP before the assembly elections.”
While pointing out that the RSS Goa prant is setting a precedent that cadres should follow their conscience, Velingkar said, “Even if BJP accepts the demands of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) to withdraw grants to 127 Church-run English-medium schools, RSS Goa prant will continue its agitation till the BJP is defeated in the assembly elections.”
Velingkar also said that Parrikar, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and environment and forest minister Rajendra Arlekar are “weak RSS students” and that is the reason they are not listening to their conscience.
Immediately after he was appointed RSS Goa prant chief, Velingkar appointed Ramdas Saraf and Raju Sukerkar as South Goa and North Goa sanghchalaks, respectively, and appointed all the RSS leaders, who resigned from their respective posts in Goa RSS, in the prant. “We will start sangh work immediately,” newly appointed RSS Goa prant general secretary Pravin Neswankar announced.
Velingkar said that he was removed because he has decided to work against the BJP to defeat them in the assembly elections. He also said that RSS Goa prant will support BBSM till it achieves success.
“There are 10,000 active swayamsevaks, 1.5 lakh people who say they are proud of RSS and three lakh committed voters in the state,” Velingkar said.