Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad Dares Mohan Bhagwat To Contest Elections

NAGPUR, Maharashtra: Addressing a public meeting right next to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s administrative headquarters in Nagpur’s Reshhimbagh area on Saturday, the Bhim Army  chief  Chandrashekhar Azad alias “Ravan” demanded a ban on the ultra-right organization and dared its chief Mohan Bhagwat to contest elections.

The Bhim Army chief’s event was held at the Reshimbagh ground, which is situated right next to the RSS’s administrative headquarters Smriti Mandir in Nagpur and hardly a kilometer away from its official headquarters in Mahal area of the city.

The local police had denied permission for this rally fearing law and order issues it could create but the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court granted permission  for it on Friday.

The court’s permission came with certain conditions including not to give a political or inciting speech in this rally.

But that did not stop Azad from targetting the RSS and its chief whom he accused of conspiring to end reservation from the backdoor and not having belief in the country’s constitution.

“Nagpur police were right when they said in the court that two ideologies are clashing here ( At Reshimbagh ground). We believe in the Constitution and these (RSS) people believe in Manusmriti,” Azad said pointing towards the RSS’s Smriti Mandir evoking loud cheers from his supporters.

“This country will be run as per the Constitution only. Manuwad will end only when RSS will be banned in this country. We also know that the RSS runs BJP which is why the BJP’s PM comes here and folds hands in front of the RSS chief.  They talk of the constitution but they want to implement the Manusmriti. I challenge the RSS chief to do away with masks and come out and fight elections. Its a democracy, fight elections and people will tell you if Manusrmiti will be implemented or Constitution,” Azad said.

The Reshimbagh ground has symbolic importance as almost all the important events of the RSS including the RSS chief’s all-important annual Vijayadashmi speech happen on this ground which is situated right next to the Smriti Mandir where all senior RSS leaders are put up while in Nagpur.

The Bhim Army chief also took a dig at the RSS for not unfurling the national flag in its headquarters.

“The tricolor is our life and it will be unfurled everywhere in the country. Today, the fight is between the Manusmriti and the Constitution.  The Constitution connects people but the Manusmriti divides. But it is the Constitution that will rule the country. Governments change but mentality doesnt. Everyone wants Bahujan votes but they won’t talk about our issues after coming to power,” he alleged.

He termed the CAA, NRC, and NPR a part of a larger conspiracy to make certain religious minorities and Dalits as secondary citizens. 

“But we can see through this conspiracy. Article 19 gives you the right to protest against the government or court’s order. I don’t talk of bullets like UP CM Yogi Aditya Nath does. I dare him and BJP to fire bullets at us. You can kill innocents but don’t forget, the government will change one day and every injustice will be avenged. Every criminal will be punished when Bahujan Raj (Majority rule) comes. They want to do Votebandi of everyone who is anti-BJP. Kanshiram used to say when you cant bring the majority in Parliament, bring it on the streets so that the government doesnt become autocratic like today’s government has. It doesnt care about people and makes laws whenever they want. The Court asked me to respect the Prime Minister but the Prime Minister should also respect the people of this country and its constitution. Don’t expect respect from me if you can’t do that. This country doesn’t belong to anyone’s father. This is everyone’s nation and no one can stop me from holding a rally here and anywhere in India,” Azad asserted.

He appealed to the Uddhav Thakeary government to stop NPR.  “If you don’t do it, we will treat you as our enemy and we will protest against you.”

He also challenged the RSS chief for an open debate on the issue of reservation.

“Those, who begged for forgiveness to the British, are not great persons,” Azad said in an apparent reference to Vinayak Sawarkar and added that the country should be grateful to its religious minorities especially the Muslims.

“The country should thank our Muslim brothers and sisters. They didn’t come out on streets to protest on Article 370, Triple Talaq or Ram Temple issue. They come out to protest for constitutional rights,” the Bhim Army chief said and appealed everyone to make Sunday’s Bharat Bandh in protest of CAA, NPR, and NRC a big success.