Why is RSS’s farmers wing targeting Nadda?

New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) has come down heavily on the Union health ministry, headed by BJP president JP Nadda, for its "failure" to set food standards for chemical residues and nutritional value in Indian staples. 

Adopting a strong resolution on the matter at its two-day executive committee meeting in Nagpur on July 27, the BKS demanded that the central government provide citizens with poison-free food.

It further slammed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which falls under Nadda’s health ministry, alleging it has failed to set food standards for chemical residues and nutritional value in Indian staples.

“If food exported abroad can meet strict standards, why is there such apathy in setting standards for what is sold to our own people?” asked the BKS.

The RSS’s influential liaison, Ram Lal, a former BJP general secretary, was also present at the meeting.

The attack on Nadda’s ministries didn’t end there. The BKS criticised both the FSSAI and the Chemicals and Fertilizers ministry, also under Nadda, for allowing India’s food to become increasingly toxic due to continued use of deadly pesticides, herbicides, bio-stimulants, hormone products, and chemical fertilizers. 

The BKS cited research from prominent health and agricultural institutes linking chemical farming to Alzheimer’s, cancer, skin diseases, and respiratory problems.

“Lymphoma and breast cancer caused by pesticide residues are not just a problem for farmers, but for the wider population consuming these grains,” the resolution stated.

Why is RSS’s own affiliate attacking ministries run by the BJP’s president? 

The question has political undertones. One explanation is that differences between the RSS and the BJP have sharpened under Nadda.

Another reason said to be is Nadda’s assertion during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections that the BJP no longer needs the RSS to grow.

Many swayamsevaks (RSS volunteers) were upset by Nadda’s statement, claiming that the BJP was trying to show itself as a separate entity from its parent organisation. 

Why should the BJP distance itself from the RSS when the two are essentially one? Is the BJP trying to function beyond the RSS’s control?

The BKS also raised the issue of genetically modified (GM) food. It alleged that FSSAI, charged with monitoring GM-free food, is failing in its duty.

While India still does not permit GM seed imports, the BKS fears the government could approve them under pressure from multinational companies. The BKS called the claim that GM seeds are pest-free “meaningless,” arguing there’s no evidence they are better than traditional seeds in terms of quality or benefits. 

The Nagpur meeting concluded with a demand: all food, including imports, must be GM-free. The BKS insisted that policymakers strictly enforce this and enact tough rules to protect the nation’s food supply.