Giriraj Singh deplores PFI, RSS comparison; issue not political: Kushwaha

Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday deplored parallels drawn between RSS and Islamic extremist organisation PFI by a senior police officer of Bihar, while a top leader of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) asserted that it is ''not a political issue''.

JD(U) parliamentary board president Upendra Kushwaha also said it was for the higher-ups in the department to decide whether any action should be taken against Patna SSP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon for having said PFI imparts physical training to its cadres like the RSS does at its ''shakhas''.

“RSS means love for the nation, RSS means welfare of the nation, RSS means service to the nation, RSS means public welfare, RSS means humanity and harmony, RSS means upholding the Constitution. Every sensible person in the country and around the world understands this, barring a few who have some agenda or stand for appeasement,” Singh, the BJP MP of Bihar's Begusarai, tweeted.

The senior IPS officer's controversial comparison of Islamic extremist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has raised the hackles of the BJP, a constituent of the ruling coalition.

Senior JD(U) leader Kushwaha, however, said, ''It is not a political issue and we do not have a say in the matter. We cannot comment even on the propriety or lack of it on part of the officer who was speaking about a matter that relates to national security.'' The saffron party, the political offshoot of the RSS, has been gunning for Dhillon ever since he made the remarks on Thursday.

Dhillon said these while briefing reporters about the arrest of some PFI members from Phulwari Sharif locality of Patna and the recovery of propaganda materials which spoke of converting India into an Islamic state.

Kushwaha, who is also a former Union minister, was also asked about the BJP's demand for an apology from the officer.

''I do not know if an apology will be a remedy. I reiterate that it is not for us to say or do anything. Let the department concerned mull over the matter. There must be a service code in place. If the officer has done anything wrong, he may face action at the departmental level,'' said Kushwaha.

The JD(U) leader, who is detested by many in the BJP for his frequent caustic remarks against the ally, was also asked to share his personal opinion as to whether a comparison between a controversial organisation like PFI with the RSS could be justified.

Kushwaha replied: ''In this country, we have people speaking irresponsibly about the president, the prime minister and chief ministers. I think it is of no use to get into such wider issues now.'' An IPS officer with a fine track record, Dhillon also displeased his higher-ups for creating unnecessary controversy.

The state’s Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), J S Gangwar, has disapproved of the SSP's “out of context” remarks.