Can Lalu Yadav say he's a PFI member? BJP on call for RSS ban

BJP's Giriraj Singh said he can openly say that he is a proud RSS worker, but can Lalu Prasad Yadav say that he is a PFI member, the BJP leader asked. Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Singh threw the same challenge to Congress's Digvijaya Singh

Reacting to the demand for a similar ban on RSS as that has been imposed on the Popular Front of India, BJP leaders said the difference is that they can call themselves 'proud RSS workers'. But can the opposition leaders who are raising the demand to ban RSS say that they are PFI members, the BJP leaders asked. Throwing a challenge to Lalu Prasad Yadav who on Wednesday said RSS is worse and should be banned, BJP's Giriraj Singh said, "They have the government in Bihar. If they have the courage, then ban RSS is Bihar." 

"We are proud to be RSS volunteers. But can Lalu Yadav say that he is a member of the PFI?" Giriraj Singh tweeted on Thursday.

As the Centre on Wednesday banned PFI and eight other allied organisations on terror charges, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said RSS should have been banned first. "They keep raising the bogey of PFI. It is the RSS, which is all about Hindu extremism (‘kattarpanth’), that deserves to be banned first,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra on Wednesday said the comparison between the RSS and PFI is only politically motivated. "Can Digvijaya Singh say that he is a PFI member? But I can proudly say that I am an RSS worker. Nobody can say this. What will you expect from a party which calls Zakir Naik ‘shantiguru’ and raise ‘tukde-tukde’ slogan?" Narottam Mishra said.

The Congress on Wednesday issued an official statement and said the party has always been and will continue to be against all forms and types of communalism-- majority, minority makes no difference.

RSS leader Indresh Kumar said those who are opposing the ban and comparing the PFI with the RSS are "mentally challenged". "The imposition of ban on the PFI was the biggest need of the hour. The government has taken a very important step to protect the country, democracy and humanity. No words are enough to praise the government for this decision," Indresh Kumar said.