Centre Allows Civil Servants To Join RSS, Opposition Questions Withdrawal Of 1966 Order

Withdrawing its 1966 order, the Central government has now allowed civil servants to join the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a move that has evoked strong reactions from the Opposition parties.

The office memorandum issued on July 9 withdrew the order issued on November 30, 1966, which barred civil servants from joining organisations that carry out political activities. The 1966 order stated: “The undersigned is directed to invite the attention of the ministry of finance etc to the provisions of sub rule (i) of rule 5 of the central service (conduct ) rule 1964 under which no government servant shall be a member of or have any association with any political party or any organisation which takes part in politics or shall take part, subscribe in aid of or assist in any manner any political movement or activity."

It added, “As certain doubts have been raised about the government’s policy with respect to the membership of and participation in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh and the Jamaat-e-Islami by government servants, it is clarified that government have always held the activities of these two organisations to be of such a nature that participation in them by government servants would attract the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules."

Citing the service conduct rules, the order had stated that any government servant, who is “a member of or is otherwise associated with the aforesaid organisations or with their activities is liable to disciplinary action". Ministries were requested to “bring the above position to the notice of government employees working in or under them".

The order was reiterated on July 25, 1970 and October 28, 1980. It has been in circulation since then. Even in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and in the last two terms of the Modi government, the ban on civil servants joining the RSS continued.

On July 9, 2024, however, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) issued a new office memorandum stating, “The aforesaid order have been reviewed and it has been decided to remove the mention of RSS from the impugned order."

The new office memorandum only bars civil servants from joining the Jamaat-e-Islami.

OPPOSITION REACTS

MP Asaduddin Owaisi strongly protested against the move. “This office memo purportedly shows that the govt has lifted the ban on govt employees participating in RSS activities. If true, this is against India’s integrity and unity. The ban on RSS exists because it had originally refused to accept the constitution, the national flag & the national anthem. Every RSS member takes an oath that puts Hindutva above the nation. No civil servant can be loyal to the nation if he is a member of RSS," he wrote on X.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in his post on X, questioned if the “steel frame" of India — the bureaucracy — will rust after this decision. “After the assassination of Gandhiji in February 1948, Sardar Patel banned the RSS. After this, the ban was lifted on the assurance of good conduct. Even after this, RSS never hoisted the tricolor in Nagpur. In 1966, a ban was imposed on government employees participating in RSS activities – and it was the right decision. This is the official order issued in 1966 to impose the ban. After June 4, 2024, the relationship between the self-proclaimed non-biological Prime Minister and the RSS has soured. On July 9, 2024, the 58-year ban was lifted which was in place even during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure as Prime Minister. I believe that bureaucracy can now even come in shorts," he posted on X.

“I cannot believe it. It seems utterly shocking," said former Odisha CM and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik.