The exercise was carried out on the Reshimbagh ground in front of the Smruti Mandir premises of the RSS. (Express Photo/File) The exercise was carried out on the Reshimbagh ground in front of the Smruti Mandir premises of the RSS. (Express Photo/File)

THE BJP-led Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Standing Committee has decided to undertake beautification and development works within the Smruti Mandir premises of the RSS here at a cost of Rs 1 crore, brushing aside objections from Opposition Congress and BSP. The proposal passed by the committee on Tuesday was earlier vetted n the general body meeting of the NMC during the budget session.Leader of the Opposition Tanaji Vanve of the Congress said, “such works can’t be undertaken on private premises at NMC’s cost as per the prevalent rules. Hence, we opposed it.”

Leader of the Opposition Tanaji Vanve of the Congress said, “such works can’t be undertaken on private premises at NMC’s cost as per the prevalent rules. Hence, we opposed it.”

Leader of the ruling party Sandip Joshi, however, said, “Nagpur is known as Sanghbhoomi and Deekshabhoomi. Lakhs come every year out of reverence. The NMC has earlier undertaken such works at Deekshabhoomi as well as Annabhau Sathe Smarak. So, why are they opposing it for Smruti Mandir? We have passed it in the budget unanimously. So, now to say they oppose it is meaningless.”

Vanve, however, argues that such works can be undertaken only at places declared as tourist places. Joshi said, “if that is the rule we will approach the state government and get the status for Smruti Mandir.”

Smruti Mandir is where the RSS holds all its programmes and is controlled by Hedgewar Smarak Samiti. It has a sprawling ground, a huge auditorium, samadhis of RSS founder K B Hedgewar and his successor M S Golwalkar.

It has a sprawling building where visiting swayamsevaks are lodged. The NMC is going to undertake construction of a boundary wall as well as cement roads inside the premises.

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