RSS refutes criticism for 'Bharat Bandh' violence

Responding to criticisms leveled by Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday, who said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), along with the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), was responsible for suppressing the Dalits for years, the Hindu Nationalist organisation, claimed the allegations to be 'baseless propaganda'.

"The way in which the efforts are being made to spread venomous propaganda against the Sangh under the guise of a court judgment is baseless and damnable. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's court has no relation with this decision," General Secretary Suresh Joshi said in a statement.

"The Sangh has always opposed any discrimination or oppression on the basis of caste. The laws made to prevent such atrocities should be strictly carried out," he added.

Earlier, Gandhi, in a tweet, said that it was in the RSS/BJP's DNA to keep the Dalits at the bottom of Indian society, also alleging that they suppress anyone who tries to challenge their stance.

BharatBandh (Keeping the Dalits at the bottom of the Indian society is in the RSS / BJP's DNA. Those who challenge this thinking, they suppress them with violence. Thousands of our Dalit brothers and sisters are now on the streets demanding protection of their rights from the Modi government. We salute them)," he tweeted.

The entire nation was engulfed in violence today, as various Dalit organisations had called for a nationwide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the ruling made by the Supreme Court on March 20, which introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.