Cong leaders meet Kalam, seek withdrawal of MP Govt order

New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today assured a delegation of the Congress that he would take proper action on the letter addressed to him by Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking withdrawal of the Madhya Pradesh Government order allowing Government servants to participate in RSS activities in the State.

He would first study the letter before taking the right action, the President assured a delegation of the Congress which met him at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here. The delegation was led by AICC Treasurer Moti Lal Vora and AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh.

MP Congress President Subhash Yadav, CLP Leader Jamuna Devi, MPs, MLAs,besides other AICC General Secretaries also formed part of the delegation.

Congress Spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi told reporters that Mrs Gandhi had in her letter expressed her deepest concern at the MP Government order allowing employees to take part in RSS "shakhas".

She impressed upon the President that allowing Government servants to participate in RSS activities would have far-reaching repercussions. It was of utmost importance to maintain communal harmony. The step would lead to polarisation of society on communal and religious lines.

According to Mr Chaturvedi, Mrs Gandhi had in her letter to the President drawn his attention to a similar lettter addressed by her to the then President K R Narayanan in the year 2000, which was delivered to him through a Congress delegation drawing his attention to Gujarat Govenment allowing Government servants to participate in political activities.

The Gujarat Government was then persuaded to withdraw the order regarding its employees participating in RSS activites following the President's intervention, Mr Chaturvedi said.

The delegation, according to Mr Chaturvedi, urged the President to excecise his powers to have the illegal order of the MP Government withdrawn. The President listened to the delegation very carefully and then told the delegation that he would throughly study Mrs Gandhi's letter before taking any action.

UNI YS RP PM1712