Congress demands inquiry against RSS "pracharak"

New Delhi, June 18 (UNI) The Congress Party today demanded an inquiry into a news report alleging that a "fraud" scientist, who identified himself as an Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister's office, has been helping the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to formulate its opposition to the Sethusamudram canal project in Tamil Nadu.

Party Spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi told mediapersons that the man, who claimed himself as "Dr" Puneesh Taneja and flaunting visiting cards identifying himself as additional secretary in the Department of Space under the PMO, had been operating with the full knowledge of the RSS.

"It seems that it was a conspiracy hatched by the RSS fully knowing well his credentials," he said, adding that "only an inquiry could brought out the truth." Referring to the report in a leading national daily which quoted a top RSS spokesman that Taneja would be removed as "pracharak," Mr Chaturvedi asked "why was it that the RSS was hesitant to file an FIR against him." Mr Chaturvedi wondered how Taneja was made a "full time pracharak" in 2005 and began operating from an RSS flat in Noida.

He alleged that Taneja had recently addressed a press conference along with Vishwa Hindu Parishad Chief Ashok Singhal on the controversy relating to Sethusamudram project.

UNI