BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut, who represents the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, has said RSS-run schools will be opened in Himachal Pradesh once her party forms the government there. The state currently has a Congress government.
Comments made after a Mandi meeting
Ranaut made the remarks while speaking to PTI-Videos after chairing a meeting of the "District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee" in Mandi district. "It is a good initiative and it should be implemented in Himachal Pradesh too," she said. She added that she wants such schemes launched in Himachal Pradesh the day her party comes to power in the state. Ranaut described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, as a source of national pride, saying the organisation has set up numerous schools and has consistently served the country during times of crisis.
She further said RSS-run schools and educational initiatives, institutions such as Eklavya Model Schools, and centres that prepare students for the NEET exam give children in rural and remote areas better opportunities. According to her, expanding such a network of schools would benefit children who still lack access to good education.
The row that began in West Bengal
Ranaut's remarks follow a recent proposal by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who spoke of setting up at least 1,000 Vidya Bharati institutions in his state. Opposition parties strongly criticised Adhikari's proposal and raised questions over it.
A plan to reach all 345 blocks
According to officials, Vidya Bharati, the RSS's education wing, is preparing to expand its network of schools in West Bengal. Under the plan, the organisation aims to establish its presence in all 345 blocks of the state over the next few years, effectively extending its school network across the entire state.
AAP questions the move
Adhikari's proposal was first criticised by Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi chief Saurabh Bhardwaj, who questioned how a government could open schools linked to the RSS. Bhardwaj called the RSS an "unregistered organisation." Kangana Ranaut's latest statement comes amid this ongoing debate, and the issue has now become a talking point in Himachal Pradesh's politics as well.
