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'Electoral Bonds Should Be Left For Experiment': RSS Leader

RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has said it (electoral bonds) has been done with checks and balances.

PTI
RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale | Photo: PTI
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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has said the Sangh “thinks electoral bonds should be left for experiment”.

He said it will be determined later how beneficial and effective electoral bond has been, PTI reported.

The RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) on Sunday re-elected Dattatreya Hosabale for the post of 'Sarkaryavah' (general secretary) for three years, the report stated.

Earlier, the Election Commission on Thursday released the electoral bonds data, with a number of billionaire tycoons and lesser-known entities being among the buyers including steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal to billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal's Airtel, Anil Agarwal's Vedanta, ITC, Mahindra and Mahindra, and lesser-known Future Gaming and Hotel Services were among the prominent buyers of the now-scrapped electoral bonds for making political donations.

On electoral bonds, Dattatreya Hosabale as per the report said the Sangh has not yet discussed about it as the electoral bonds is an "experiment".

"It has been done with checks and balances and it is not that electoral bonds have suddenly been introduced today, it (such scheme) was brought earlier also. Whenever a change is introduced, questions are raised. Questions were also raised when the EVMs (electronic voting machines) were introduced," he was quoted as saying.

"It is natural that questions will be raised by people when new things come up. But time will tell how beneficial and effective the new system is. Hence, the Sangh thinks it should be left for experiment," he was quoted as saying.

He aslo said the RSS welcomes Uniform Civil Code, adding that a resolution demanding its enactment was passed several years ago in the outfit's 'Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha'.

To a query on the RSS' definition of "minority", he as per the report said the concept is there in the Constitution.

"We all need to (have) rethink over it. Because, this country belongs to all and the method or idea of calling (communities) minority has been going on for decades. Those who are Hindu in the traditional sense, those who are considered as Hindus as per the Hindu Code Bill, are organized by the Sangh," he claimed.

He added: "The RSS has always opposed the politics of minoritism. The country is one and this is how it should continue is what the Sangh always says."

The annual three-day 'Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha' of the RSS began at the 'Smriti Bhavan' complex in Reshimbagh area of Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Friday.

The meeting is taking place in Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS, after six years. A total of 1529 representatives of various RSS inspired organisations attended the meeting that concluded on Sunday.

BJP president JP Nadda also attended the ABPS meeting on Sunday, the report said.