RSS’s Indresh Kumar skips Eid event, security reason cited

Nagpur: A programme to mark Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) — the minority outreach arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — could not take off as planned as Indresh Kumar, member of the Hindutva fountainhead’s national executive, failed to turn up. The reasons cited were security concerns, said sources.
A senior RSS functionary, Kumar is mentor of the MRM and was instrumental in forming the organization with an objective to reach out to Muslims and other minority communities. Among various functions held on Saturday to mark festivities, the MRM workers too had planned an event at Golibar Chowk, a little further from Mominpura — a Muslim majority pocket in the city.
Even as the MRM workers kept waiting, Kumar did not turn up for the event while he attended other programmes slated to the day. Later it was told that police had advised him to avoid going to Golibar Chowk. Kumar is learnt to have attended a function at the National Law School apart from talking to RSS swayamsevaks at Pardi.
It has been learnt that the programme was planned in advance, with MRM workers also briefed. However, Kumar failed to turn up at the last moment.
Police sources confirmed that there was security concern flagged off as the venue is close to Mominpura. The programme was supposed to be held right at the square. Sources said security should not have been a concern as it was not inside Mominpura and even otherwise there should have been no reason to worry.
Responding to TOI’s text message, Virag Parchpore, an RSS functionary involved in MRM activities, refused to comment. A text message to Kumar went unanswered.
During the Pardi event, Kumar hit out at Popular Front of India (PFI) saying it is a training ground for hatred, and the move to ban the organization has been welcomed by thousands of Muslim leaders. No more temples will be demolished in the country, said Kumar, calling religious conversions as anti-constitutional and also against God.
Speaking about controversy over Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Kumar said the Hindutva ideologue spent torturous time in prison when he was sentenced to double life imprisonment, while Congress leaders had a comfortable time during the freedom struggle.