RSS schools spreading casteism

CHANDIGARH, March 30: Charging the RSS-run schools in the country with imbibing communalism and casteism'' in the youth at the basic le...

CHANDIGARH, March 30: Charging the RSS-run schools in the country with 8220;imbibing communalism and casteism8221; in the youth at the basic level, Congress Working Committee member and former Union minister Mohsina Kidwai today called upon the youth to combat such propaganda.

Kidwai said as many as 13,000 schools run by the RSS were 8220;misleading8221; the youth and were leading the nation to disaster, destroying as they were the basic fabric of the country.

She alleged that the BJP-led Central government was making concerted efforts to groom such schools by constructing buildings, allocating land and recruiting cadre staff, besides providing them grant-in-aid.

Kidwai, who was in the city in connection with the three-day Indian Youth Congress North Zone regional orientation camp, said that any attempts to communalise education by the RSS would be thwarted by the Congress. She cautioned that the BJP was aligning with other like-minded parties like the Akali Dal, which she also termed as 8220;communal8221;. She added that the Congress was the only secular party which stood for all religions and castes. Questioning the BJP on its 8220;achievements8221; during its one-year rule, she held Union Home Minister L. K. Advani responsible for the increase in crime in the national capital.

8220;Advani should take moral responsibility for the failure of law and order in Delhi, since it is directly under the Home Ministry,8221; she said. Later, All India Congress Committee secretary and former minister Selja, sought the early constitution of YC in Haryana. Without disclosing to which faction in Haryana she owed her allegiance, she said holding of parallel rallies by former CM Bhajan Lal and PCC president Bhupinder Singh Hooda did not amount to indiscipline.

She parried all questions pertaining to factionalism within the Haryana Congress and called upon partymen to not indulge in mud-slinging. Meanwhile, Indian Youth Congress president Manish Tewari said that a youth body had not been constituted in Haryana as consensus had not been reached on who should head the body. Earlier, former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal talked about equal rights, equal opportunity to all irrespective of caste, creed and religion, justice for all, as also the freedom of speech and expression. The three-day camp will end tomorrow.