RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to address Hindu Sammelan in Kolkata on January 14

RSSKOLKATA: For the first time, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will be holding a Hindu Sammelan at the Brigade Parade Grounds here on January 14. The RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat will address the Sammelan at the Grounds, which is considered to be the largest venue for holding any political gathering in Kolkata.

Bhagawat had earlier addressed rallies in the city in some smaller venues like Sahid Minar, Tullah Park and Gnaja Park. But this is for the first time that Bhagawat will be addressing the rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds, the largest venue. “We are expecting a huge turn out at our Sammelan on January 14. We have selected the Brigade Parade Grounds because our activists from the districts were constantly requesting us to go for the largest venue as lakhs of RSS activists and supporters will assemble in Kolkata on January 14 to attend Bhagawat Ji’s rally,” a senior RSS leader.

The CPIM is constantly saying that the RSS has managed to strengthen their base in Bengal as the organisation is enjoying indirect support from the ruling Trinamool Congress. The party is also blaming chief minister Mamata Banerjee for providing indirect support to both the BJP and RSS.

“After Mamata came to power in 2011, RSS membership in the state has increased five-fold. We are constantly fighting communal forces which are getting indirect patronage from the ruling party,” CPM MLA and state secretariat member Sujan Chakraborty told ET.

Jisnu Basu, RSS south Bengal general secretary, however, denied CPIM’s claims. “There’s no doubt that our membership has doubled in 2013, but not five times.” Basu said that before 2013, they had 770 units across the state which has gone up to 1520 after 2013.