The announcement by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to establish one thousand schools in West Bengal has sparked a fresh political controversy across the country. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has strongly opposed this initiative, raising sharp administrative questions and directing a series of aggressive remarks at the organization. His statements have intensified political friction between Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Sanjay Raut questions teacher recruitment and foreign tours
During his critique, Sanjay Raut linked the school expansion plan with the recent foreign tours of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. In a sarcastic tone, he asked where the organization intends to source teachers for these upcoming educational institutions. Mocking the initiative, Raut questioned whether Bhagwat had traveled to America and England specifically to recruit teachers for these schools. He emphasized that running educational institutions and providing proper schooling to the public is the constitutional responsibility of elected governments rather than socio-cultural organizations.
Criticism of central and state education systems
Expanding his attack, Raut criticized both the central government led by Narendra Modi and the administration in West Bengal. He claimed that the central and state governments have completely failed to manage their respective education systems effectively. According to him, government schools are in poor condition and educational policies lack direction. Raut argued that because the public education framework has collapsed, the RSS is trying to exploit this void to introduce its own curriculum and educational system in West Bengal.
Political implications of the controversy
Raut asserted that the RSS needs to thoroughly study the sensitive subject of education before attempting to interfere in it. He maintained that while propagating an ideology is a different matter, running school education is strictly an administrative and academic task. Political analysts believe that Raut's statement carries deep strategic implications. A fierce ideological battle has been ongoing between the ruling dispensation in West Bengal and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
If the RSS expands its network of schools in the state, its grassroots presence will naturally strengthen. As a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, Shiv Sena (UBT) aims to counter this organizational expansion. The party continually seeks to project that the policies of the BJP and RSS are driven by political motives. Conversely, supporters of the RSS and the BJP have consistently maintained that institutions run by the organization, such as Saraswati Shishu Mandir, deliver affordable, quality education coupled with traditional values across the nation. The organization holds that reaching children in remote areas with foundational education is part of its social duty.
