Arif khan flies to be a guest of honour at Sangh function

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan, who had publically declared his close association with Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) and met Mohan Bhagavat, would be a guest of honour at a function organized by a Sangh Parivar-affiliated organization.

The Governor had left Kerala on Wednesday for Delhi. He would fly to Guwahati in Assam on September 24 to participate in 'Lokmanthan' organized by Prajna Pravah. Kerala Rajbhavan sources had confirmed Ariff Muhammad's participation.

According to the organizers, Vice President Jagadeep Dhankhar would be the chief guest of honour. Apart from Ariff Muhammad Khan, governors of Assam and Nagaland would be the guest of honour. RSS ideologue and former Sah Prachar Pramukh from Kerala, J. Nanda Kumar, is the convener of Prajna Pravah. Nandakumar was deputed to the Prajna Pravah, said an RSS leader on request of anonymity. "Thus Prajna Pravah was formed, and Nanda Kumar became its convener", he also said. The organization's website describes one of its main objectives as a realization of nationalism and patriotism. It also upholds the Hindutva ideology as a potential to liberate the world. Former RSS chief KS Sudarshan, the former cabinet minister in Vajpayee government Murali Manohar Joshi, and RSS ideologue P Parameswaran were named as the founders of Prajna Pravah. Earlier, the organization had also organized a special lecture in memory of RSS ideologue Savarkar.

Khan had claimed in the press conference on Tuesday at Rajbhavan that he had a close association with the RSS since 1986, and the relations are still intact. He had also met RSS chief Mohan Bhagavat in Thrissur.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had harshly criticized Arif Muhammed Khan's statement and accused him of being a tool in the hands of the Sangh Parivar.