Despite daughter's 'warning', Pranab Mukherjee to address RSS cadre in Nagpur today

Former president Pranab Mukherjee will address Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadre on Thursday even as his daughter Sharmistha reminded him of repercussions of attending the Sangh's event.

Sharmistha took to Twitter to remind her father that by attending the RSS event, he will give a full hand to the BJP/RSS to plant false propaganda stories.

"Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from today’s incident, how BJP dirty tricks department operates. Even RSS wouldn’t believe that you are going to endorse its views in your speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain and those will be circulated with fake statements," she tweeted.

Earlier, a group of RSS workers, who were seen handing bouquets, welcomed the former president soon after he landed in Nagpur. He is the chief guest at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) valedictory function on Thursday.

Mukherjee, who had always been a strong critic of RSS, on Thursday will address the concluding ceremony of the RSS's third-year officers' training camp in Reshimbagh. Around 800 RSS workers will attend the final year of ‘Sangh Shiksha Varg’ training course.O

On Sunday, trouble found former president Pranab Mukherjee, one of the biggest Congress leaders of post-Indira Gandhi era, after he accepted an invitation from the RSS – a Hindutva group.

Mukherjee, however, remained unperturbed despite allegations and controversies and said "Whatever I have to say, I will say in Nagpur. I have received several letters, requests, and phone calls, but I haven’t responded to anyone yet," Anandabazar Patrika reported.

Reacting to the development, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh urged the former president not to attend the RSS event while former finance minister P Chidambaram requested him to point out RSS's wrong political ideologies during his speech.

On the other hand, Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala dashed a letter to Mukherjee saying that his decision had come as a "rude shock" to "secular minds" in the country. Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, however, defended Mukherjee regarding his participation at the RSS event in Nagpur.

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