Controversy erupts over RSS thinker TG Mohandas's remarks
RSS thinker TG Mohandas claimed that secular and leftist women participating in protests enjoy rape.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker T.G. Mohandas has made highly objectionable comments regarding the female protesters who participated in the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Mohandas stated that if there were a mass rape occurring there, no complaints would be filed. He claimed that secular and leftist women participating in the protests prefer rape. T.G. Mohandas is facing significant backlash.
The former head of the BJP's state intellectual wing, Mohandas, also made violent statements regarding the protesting students. T.G. Mohandas posted a video in which he said that if he had control, he would "shoot" the protesting students at Jantar Mantar. This video was posted on his YouTube channel 'Patrika' on Sunday.
According to a report by The Hindu, in this 30-minute video, Mohandas elaborates on how he would deal with student protests organized by CJP and other major opposition groups against irregularities in the NEET exam. In the video, Mohandas says,
"The crowd is told to disperse. Announcements are made three times via the public address system. Then, firing occurs. People flee in panic and haste. Some are killed, while others are injured." "The situation comes under control within four hours. The bodies are taken to the hospital."
In a later posted video, Mohandas states that "the police should have removed themselves from the area and left it to the protesters. If someone died because of this, they would be considered martyrs." He then makes extremely vulgar and objectionable comments about the protesting women, saying that,
secular and leftist women participating in the Jantar Mantar protest prefer rape. If there were a mass rape occurring there, no woman would file a complaint.
On Monday, the All India Students Federation (AISF), the student wing of the Communist Party of India, filed a police complaint against T.G. Mohandas. The organization alleged that his comments regarding the recent student movement in Delhi over the NEET question paper leak were inciting violence and that criminal action should be taken against him. In the complaint submitted to the state police chief, AISF alleged that Mohandas had suggested "shooting to death" the student protesters, which is akin to incitement to violence and mass murder. AISF claimed that such comments cannot be viewed as political opinions but are a direct challenge to constitutional values, the rule of law, and the democratic right to peaceful protest.
According to AISF's complaint, publicly advocating for the use of state force to shoot at protesting students—resulting in the possibility of death and serious injury—was an extremely dangerous statement. It promotes violence, diminishes the importance of human life, and poses a risk of spreading fear and social unrest. It was also alleged that since these comments were disseminated via digital media, if not stopped, they could spread rapidly, promote violent thinking, and create chaos. The complaint demanded that a criminal case be filed against Mohandas under all applicable legal provisions and that an investigation be conducted into the YouTube channel where these comments were displayed, as well as an inquiry into the source of the video, digital records, and its dissemination on social media platforms.
In a separate statement, AISF's state executive alleged that Mohandas's comments reflect an ideology that negates constitutional values, democratic rights, and the principles of Kerala's social reform movement. The organization also alleged that these comments exhibited a fascist mentality aimed at suppressing peaceful democratic protests through violence, misrepresenting the protesting students, insulting thousands of young protesters, and promoting social hatred. Meanwhile, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also strongly criticized Mohandas's comments and demanded action against him.
Pinarayi Vijayan launched a sharp attack on Mohandas, describing the comments of the right-wing political commentator as a "planned attempt" by the Sangh Parivar forces to spread hatred even after the protests had ended. Without naming anyone, Vijayan also accused a BJP MP from Telangana of having suggested shooting students protesting against the NEET question paper leak. In a Facebook post, Vijayan claimed that
such statements reflect the Sangh Parivar's mentality of "eliminating dissent" and a perverse attitude towards women.
However, following this statement, the RSS distanced itself from Mohandas. The complaint urged the police to conduct a scientific investigation of the entire video and audio recordings, verify the truth and content of the comments, and determine whether they amounted to incitement to violence, loss of life and property, or disruption of public order.
Meanwhile, the RSS condemned T.G. Mohandas's controversial remarks regarding the recent student protests in New Delhi on Tuesday. The organization stated that these were his "personal views" and should be condemned. RSS senior official K.B. Shrikumar clarified in a statement that Mohandas is not an official of the RSS at any level. Kumar stated, "T.G. Mohandas's comments on the recent protests are his personal views. He is not an official of the RSS at any level. The RSS does not agree with his views and they should be condemned in every possible way."