Pranab rejects reports of his foundation 'collaborating' with RSS in Haryana

NEW DELHI: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday put to rest speculations that his foundation is planning to collaborate with the Haryana unit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In a statement, the office of the former president denied media reports which had suggested that Pranab Mukherjee Foundation (PMF) could collaborate with the RSS in Haryana. The media reports came two months after Mukherjee had addressed an RSS annual event in Nagpur, inviting severe criticism from Congress and other left-wing parties.

"There have been reports in certain sections of the media suggesting that the Pranab Mukherjee Foundation (PMF) may collaborate with RSS in Haryana. It is categorically clarified that there is neither any existing collaboration nor is there any such move in the offing," a statement issued by Mukherjee's office said.

The media reports came close on the heels of Mukherjee's visit to the inauguration ceremony of projects in Smartgram Yojana in Haryana's Gurugram. State chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also attended the event. Mukherjee had already adopted villages in Gurugram's Alipur in 2016.

In June, Mukherjee had addressed RSS workers at the valedictory function of the 'Sangh Shiksha Varg' in Nagpur, the headquarters of the Sangh fountainhead.

Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, who is a Delhi Congress spokesperson, had also tweeted against the visit.