The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Telangana unit, strongly denied any involvement in the recent desecration of the statue of social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in Tellapur village of Sangareddy district, describing the incident as “deeply painful, condemnable, and a deliberate attempt to malign the organisation.”
In an official statement issued by RSS Telangana Pranth Prachar Pramukh Rajagopal, the organisation clarified that it has “no connection whatsoever” with the incident and urged the public not to be misled by “false propaganda” aimed at disturbing social harmony.
According to the statement, the village had recently witnessed the installation of statues of two historic icons in a spirit of unity and collective participation. On January 25, villagers jointly installed the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, followed by the installation of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule’s statue on February 6. Both programmes, the RSS said, were conducted peacefully with enthusiastic participation from residents across the community.
The organisation alleged that “a few opportunistic elements” later damaged the Phule statue with the intention of creating tension among villagers and disrupting communal harmony. It further claimed that attempts were being made to falsely attribute the act to the RSS, calling such allegations “completely baseless and politically motivated.” Reiterating its ideological position, the RSS said it holds the “highest respect for the makers of the Constitution, patriots, and social reformers who worked for social equality,” including Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
