Delhi/Nagpur: Directly targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its leadership at a political rally outside the Hindutva outfit’s headquarters here on Saturday, Bhim Army leader Chandra Shekhar Aazad challenged RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to contest elections and test whether the Sangh’s “Manuvadi” agenda had any public support or not,

Addressing a meeting of Bhim Army workers at the Reshimbaug Ground adjacent to the RSS headquarters, Azad also demanded a ban on the Sangh to end “Manuvad”.

“I want to give a suggestion to the RSS chief…Take out the veil of lies and come to the field. It is democracy… contest direct elections with your agenda, and people will tell you if the ‘Manusmriti’ or the constitution will run the country,” Azad said.

“Manuvad” or the philosophy of Manu is a reference to the ancient Brahminical treatise, the Manusmriti, a compendium of laws that justify discrimination against Dalits and Bahujans as well as women and advocate violence against these groups if they acquire learning. The Sangh, like other Hindutva groups, upholds the sanctity of the Manusmriti.

Aazad said the new citizenship law (CAA), the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register (NPR) are all part of the RSS agenda.

In the past two months, Aazad has emerged as a major political voice against the CAA, confounding efforts by the BJP and its leaders – including Prime Minister Modi – to portray the protests as a Muslim-only show. One week after Modi told voters in Jharkhand that they could recognise the anti-CAA protestors “by their clothes”, he was forced to hit out at Aazad: “Those who claim to do Dalit politics, why were they silent all these years? I want to tell them that most of the refugees who have come from Pakistan are persecuted Dalits,” Modi said at a rally in Delhi’s Ramlila maidan where he hard-sold the CAA and downplayed the NRC.

With the BJP well aware of the political damage that Aazad’s role in the anti-CAA protest can cause it, the venue of the Bhim Army rally on Saturday was significant because it is where the RSS traditionally puts on its own shows of strength. This is where special invitees to RSS events are felicitated, including former president Pranab Mukherjee. Though the Reshmibaug ground is a public one, the Nagpur police and civic authorities tend not to allow its use by political groups opposed to the RSS.

Also Read: ‘Have You Read the Constitution?’ Asks Judge as Delhi Police Oppose Bail for Aazad

On Friday, however, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court allowed the Bhim Army to hold a meeting of its workers at the ground with certain conditions, after the local police denied permission fearing a violation of law and order.

Referring to the Nagpur Police’s contention, Aazad said two ideologies will always clash.

“While we believe in the Constitution, they believe in ‘Manusmriti’. This country runs only on the Constitution and not on any other ideology. This ‘Manuvad’ will end in the country only if a ban is imposed on the RSS,” said Azad.

Since the RSS runs the BJP, the prime minister visits the Sangh chief with folded hands and briefs him, he said. “They talk about the Constitution but push the Manusmriti agenda,” he alleged.

Azad also accused the RSS of trying to end reservation system through the backdoor.

“Our people are still to get any positions or posts (in government jobs)…One day, we will have our prime minister and governments in other states. We will give you reservation. We will give reservation to other sections of the society. We will become givers and not takers,” Azad said.

He dared the Sangh chief to hold a discussion on the reservation system. Bhagwat in the past has advocated a rethink on the constitutional provisions regarding reservations for Dalits, Adivasis and ‘other backward classes’.

Aazad also appealed to the Shiv Sena-headed Maharashtra government to not allow the NPR in the state “in the interest of the people”.

He alleged that governments are not allowing protests even for the right cause of people.

“If we take to streets to protest we get punished. However, they do not know that those who are keen to save the nation are not afraid of any punishment, be it lathi, jail or court cases,” he said.

Aazad is currently out on bail in the case of allegedly inciting people during an anti-CAA protest at Jama Masjid in New Delhi on December 20. That protest was peaceful and the local magistrate in Delhi was scathing when the Delhi police sought to oppose Aazad’s bail despite failing to provide any evidence that he had incited violence.

“In future also if we don’t get permission, we will knock on the doors of the courts. We had asked for eight hours freedom (permission for the Bhim Army meeting on Saturday) and the respected court (the Bombay HC) allowed us three hours. We respect the court, three hours are enough,” he said referring to the HC’s order on Friday.

Aazad said they have called for a Bharat Bandh on February 23 on the CAA-NRC-NPR issue.

During his speech, he also referred to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath’s statement during the Delhi assembly election that if anti-CAA protestors are not convinced by words, they should get ready to face bullets.

“I will not give statements such as those given by UP CM Yogi Adityanath about bullets. He had said ‘joh boli se nahi maanega woh goli se maanega’. Fire bullets at us,” he said.

“You shoot innocent people, but remember BJP, your government will change some day and when that happens, we will take revenge for every single atrocity. You are indulging in crime. The constitution says everyone enjoys equal rights. As per the constitution, any crime, be it committed by a common man or a member of the executive or legislative, by a home minister, by a CM or even by a prime minister, it is punishable,” he said.

Aazad further said that when the government of Bahujans (common people) comes to power, criminals will not be spared.

“I promise this to my people. People are real owners (of democracy) who have taken to streets. We were talking about jobs, healthcare, corruption, education and security, but they made the entire nation stand on roads just like the note ban. Their only intention is to ban votes of those who are anti-BJP,” Azad alleged, referring to protests in various parts of the country against the proposed CAA-NRC-NPR regime.

With inputs from PTI