'No action against officials for RSS activities in U.P.'

LUCKNOW, FEB. 7. Amid the raging controversy over the Gujarat decision, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Ram Prakash Gupta, said today that his Government would not take any action against State Government officials taking part in activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as there was no ban on it in the State.

``The officials of the State Government are not barred from participating in the RSS activities as it is just a cultural organisation and not a political outfit,'' he said. ``The ban on Government officials is on joining any political party,'' he told reporters here.

The interpretation that the RSS had political leanings was a matter of discussion that could be left to the courts, the Chief Minister said adding that the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, too had already clarified this.

In reply to a question whether there was any Government Order banning State officials from participating in such activities, Mr. Gupta replied in the negative saying he had no knowledge about any such order.

Earlier, the Bahujan Samaj Party vice-president, Ms. Mayawati, had warned the State Government against any Gujarat- like step allowing officials to take part in the RSS activities, saying the State had witnessed frequent communal tensions and any such move would further aggravate the situation.

- PTI

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