Sacked Goa RSS leader floats parallel unit

“Last night, several RSS workers have resigned from their posts. We have now split from Konkan prant forming a separate RSS Goa prant,” Velingkar told reporters here.

He, however, hastened to add, “We will approach the parent body seeking affiliation after the assembly polls in March 2017.” Velingkar, who was removed from the key post by the RSS on Wednesday, said the workers have “reinstated” him as the Goa “Prant Sangh Chalak.”  He was “relieved” from his charge of the state by RSS in the wake of his forum Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) persistently challenging the BJP and its government in the state as part of its campaign for making the local language Medium of Instruction (MoI) in the schools.

They had even shown black flags to the BJP national chief Amit Shah during a recent visit to the state. BBMS has been pressing for regional languages like Konkani and Marathi to be made the MoI in schools and grants given to the English-medium institutes stopped.

Sangh said Velingkar was sacked because he was indulging in political activities, which as an RSS member he could not do.

Countering the charge of meddling in politics, he sought to know as to why the Sangh did not object to his involvement in the political movement during 2012 Goa Assembly election, in which he gave the slogan of “Congress-hatao”.

“When they did not object to my role in Congress-hatao, why are they questioning now when I speak against BJP?,” he said. RSS Konkan prant Sanghachalak Satish Modh had in a statement said Velingkar has been relieved of the charge as he wanted to get involved in political activity. Earlier, speaking to a news agency, Velingkar alleged Parrikar and Gadkari were instrumental in Snagh taking action against him.