One person was arrested in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday for threatening to blow up Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) offices in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka states.
The RSS is the ideological parental organisation of PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The suspect has been identified as Raj Mohammad, a resident of Puddukottai District in Tamil Nadu. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh is now prepared to bring the suspect to Lucknow city on a transit remand.
Man Arrested for Giving Bomb Threats to 6 RSS Offices
© Photo : Twitter/@Benarasiyaa
RSS offices in Lucknow and Unnao, cities in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Karnataka were issued bomb threats on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, the Uttar Pradesh Police filed a case after a complaint was filed about an RSS member working in the Lucknow office of the organisation.
In an official statement, Uttar Pradesh Police said: "An F.I.R. (First Information Report) was registered at Madiyaon Police Station in connection with a bomb threat to the RSS offices in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow & Unnao. A WhatsApp message threatening that RSS offices will be blown up was sent at 8 p.m. yesterday." "With Cyber Cell’s help, the number that sent the message will be traced."
According to media reports, RSS member Neelkanth Tiwari received a message on WhatsApp that the organisation’s offices in Lucknow and Unnao will be blown up. The message was sent in three languages – Hindi, English, and Kannada.
The threat came days after Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of RSS during a ceremony held in Nagpur city of Maharashtra, called for communal harmony to be maintained in the country.
He was addressing during a ceremony related to the third anniversary of Sangh Shiksha Varg (RSS officers’ training group).
Bhagwat said: “If they (referring to Muslims) want to come back then we would welcome them with open arms. Even if they do not come back, it does not matter, we already have 33 crore (330 million) deities, more will be added….everyone is following their religion.” “Everyone should understand and respect the sentiments of each other. There should be no extremism in the heart, in words or in work. There should not be words of intimidation from either side (Hindus or Muslims)".