The caste violence in Maharashtra rocked Parliament today even as the RSS rubbished the Congress charge it was fuelling the clashes over which the opposition party also flayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "silence" on the matter.
As a political war of words erupted over the simmering caste tensions in BJP-ruled Maharashtra both inside and outside Parliament, the saffron party also hit back and accused the Congress of trying to play politics over the matter.
Rejecting the Congress charge, the RSS sought to put the blame of caste violence in Maharashtra on a "breaking India brigade" which, it said, had raised anti-national slogans at the JNU in Delhi in 2016 and was now trying to divide the Hindu society.
"The 'breaking India brigade' chanted slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2016 that India will be shattered into pieces. It wants to divide the country on religious and caste lines. It wants to divide the Hindu society. The Sangh castigates it," RSS spokesman Manmohan Vaidya told reporters in Ujjain.
In his book "Breaking India", Indian-American author Rajeev Malhotra has specifically written about this mentality stating that it is aimed at gaining political mileage, Vaidya said.
"That is why this breaking India brigade is indulging in such acts. We won't allow it to succeed. The RSS strongly condemns such mentality and opposes it," he said.
Asked to respond to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's attack on the RSS and the BJP yesterday over the violence in Pune, he said the "sangh by uniting all the sections of society wants to march ahead."
BJP leader and Union Minister Satyapal Singh told reporters outside Parliament that the RSS is for maintaining peace in the country and not to spread violence.
In the Lok Sabha, the Congress accused the RSS and certain Hindutva outfits of triggering violence against dalits in Maharashtra and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" over the clashes. It also demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge.
"The RSS and certain hardcore Hindutva outfits are behind the violence. They are trying to drive a wedge between the Marathas and Dalits in Maharashtra," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge alleged.
A visibly anguished Kharge also tore some papers he was holding when BJP members vociferously protested his remarks and continued to shout.
"Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi silent on the issue? He always maintains silence on issues relating to Dalits. He has become a 'Mouni Baba' on Dalit issues," he said.
Kharge's comments triggered angry response from BJP MPs, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar rebutting the charges and accusing the Congress of trying to play politics over the issue.
"Congress wants to politicise the issue. The party suffered electoral drubbing in so many states in the recent past and that is why they want to milk political mileage over the issue," Kumar alleged.
The minister's response infuriated the Congress members who trooped into the Well of the House and shouted slogans like 'stop humiliating Babasaheb Ambedkar', 'stop dividing the country' and 'PM speak up'.
Kharge also urged the Speaker to ask Modi to make a statement in the House on the violence in Maharashtra.
Earlier, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she would allow the members to speak on the issue but urged them to ensure that their comments do not vitiate the situation in the affected areas.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings was also disrupted with the House witnessing three adjournments even as opposition parties like Congress and BSP sought a discussion on the violence.
As soon as the Upper House convened at 2 PM after two adjournments earlier, BSP MP Satish Chandra Mishra stood up and demanded a discussion on the issue, saying "peaceful people" were targeted in Maharashtra and accusing the state government of hatching a conspiracy.
Kharge told reporters that the prime minister should clarify his position inside Parliament on violence against dalits since he shows sympathy for them during polls.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)