RSS Drill
Volunteers of the rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) participate in a drill during a training camp. [Representational Image]Reuters

The Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) on Wednesday removed its Goa chief Subhash Velingkar, a week after he led a protest in which black flags were shown to Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah. The RSS, however, claimed that Velingkar was removed for working against the BJP government in Goa.

Around 200 demonstrators of Velingkar-led Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) had waved black flags and shouted anti-BJP slogans during Shah's day-long visit to the poll-bound state on Aug. 21.

Velingkar has been involved in feuds with the state BJP government over the Central government grants to educational institutions in Goa. He has also been leading a campaign against distribution of government grants to English medium schools.

"Subhash Velingkar has been removed from his post with immediate effect for faulting a political outfit and working against the Goa government," RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya was quoted as saying by IANS.

Amit Shah had earlier raised the issue of Velingkar leading BBSM in a RSS meeting at Bhopal last week. The meeting was also attended by Sangh leaders Krishna Gopal and Bhaiyaji Joshi.

On Monday, Velingkar had suggested that BBSM will contest Goa legislative assembly election in 2017. Velingkar has also said that the BJP may not win the election as it betrayed the trust of the people by going back on its promise of making regional languages as a medium of instructions in schools instead of English.