Kochi: Ernakulam District Congress Committee general secretary Raju P. Nair has demanded a comprehensive probe on the alleged RSS links of the controversial Yoga Centre at Kandanad. Addressing a press conference at Ernakulam Press Club on Saturday, he said the petition moved in the High Court by A.V. Krishna Kumar, a former employee of the Yoga Centre, revealed close links between the RSS and the Centre.
“His allegations that women were brought to the Centre through Hindu Helpline of the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) and brutally assaulted for re-conversions to other faiths are serious. The former employee had also alleged of sexually assaulting them and taking their nude pictures,” said Mr Nair. The role of Pratheesh Viswanathan, who allegedly orchestrated police raid at Kerala House for serving beef dishes and who was the catalyst in bringing the BJP and the SNDP Yogam together in the state, in reconversion of women exposes the close links between RSS and the Yoga Centre, according to the Congress leader. “The state government should initiate a detailed probe into the activities and financial sources of Pratheesh Viswanathan and also the dubious functioning of the controversial Yoga Centre,” demanded Mr Nair.
Rights Panel seeks report
State Human Rights Commission has meanwhile asked the district police chief to conduct an inquiry into the complaints of sexual harassment at the Yoga Centre and submit a report within a month. The Commission acting chairman P. Mohandas gave the instruction based on a complaint submitted by a native of Andhra Pradesh, who was an inmate of the Centre from March 30 to May 1. The woman complained that she was regularly assaulted by a team led by Manoj Guruji, the owner of the Centre for reconverting to Hinduism.
