Raipur, Feb 8 (NationPress) Union Home Minister Amit Shah remarked on Sunday that no historian can refute the pivotal role played by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in shaping India’s national narrative, both prior to and after Independence.

During a gathering focused on the book ‘Chhattisgarh@25 – Shifting the Lens’ in Chhattisgarh, Amit Shah emphasized that the ideology and functions of the RSS have continually advanced the welfare of people and safeguarded their rights.

He expressed appreciation for the RSS, stating, “There is no corner of the nation where RSS volunteers (swayamsevaks) haven’t made a constructive difference.”

While commemorating the 25th anniversary of Chhattisgarh’s establishment, Shah stressed that political entities and development should be guided by a robust and affirmative ideology. He drew a distinction between the BJP’s development-centric ideological stance and what he termed “destructive” ideologies.

Shah asserted that the progress of Chhattisgarh, frequently recognized as a success under BJP governance, is rooted in an ideological framework emphasizing social, economic, and infrastructure advancement, as opposed to ideologies that foster conflict.

He underscored that among various institutions, the efforts of RSS volunteers have been among the most significant across different facets of national life since gaining independence.

The Union Home Minister noted that in the past thirty years, both NDA administrations under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and UPA regimes under Dr. Manmohan Singh have overseen state bifurcations.

He highlighted that during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership, three new states—Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand from Bihar, and Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh—were established amicably and with consensus, and each is now contributing to national progress.

In contrast, Shah pointed out that the division of Andhra Pradesh during Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure involved significant protests, with Andhra Pradesh MPs excluded from the Lok Sabha, resulting in ongoing disputes.

Addressing the Maoist issue, Shah stated that the primary areas affected were border districts in Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha, especially Bastar.

He remarked that development statistics from the 1980s, when the issue started, clearly indicated that there were over 100 districts in the country that were even more underdeveloped than Bastar at that time.

“If the root cause of Maoism is lack of development, then why hasn’t this issue spread to those 100 districts that were more backward than Bastar?” Shah questioned.