The Australian parliament resounded with the call for the resignation of Barry O’Farrell — the Australian High Commissioner to India. The call was led by Senator Janet Rice, who had done so in the background of Barry’s meeting with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Describing it as a “disgrace,” Janet Rice called for the High Commissioner’s resignation since he is also the “second senior diplomat from any country to meet with the RSS.” She spoke about her participation in round table sessions organised by the Humanism project, and a topic of concern there was the RSS, which she described as a “fascist organisation” that has openly admitted “admiration for Adolf Hitler and the appalling genocide that occurred under him”.
Continuing her speech, she said, “The contemporary RSS rides roughshod of the people’s rights. Time and time again, the RSS has attacked Indian’s freedom of expression, rights and safety. They demonise and encourage persecution of some of the non-Hindus of the country, particularly those from the Muslim background.” It is in this context that she has recommended the resignation of High Commissioner Barry.
Barry O’ Farrell had met with Mohan Bhagwat last month and took to Twitter to share a few pics and his experience. He posted, “The RSS has been actively supporting the community during the Covid-19. I met with Sarsangchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat, who shared the relief measures the organisation has adopted across India during these challenging times.”
The other senior diplomat to have met with Bhagwat and his organisation was German Ambassador Walter Lindner, who had described the RSS as a “mass movement” in India and his visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur as an attempt to understand the “Indian mosaic”.
