What earlier was being perceived as a show of confrontation by the Congress leaders of the city, turned out to be a show of solidarity and bonhomie with both the Congress leaders and the RSS activists not only exchanged pleasantries at the latter's `Archana' office but also hoisted the national flag unitedly.
Opposing the move of Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani on hoisting of the national flag at all the Central universities of the country, the Congress leaders of the city on Monday had planned to unfurl the tricolour at the RSS office in the city.
As per their plan, a large number of senior Congress workers of the city led by the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Arun Yadav, former MP Sajjan Singh Verma, Pramod Tandon, Rajesh Chowkse, Anil Yadav, Narendra Saluja and Aman Bajaj on Monday morning gathered at the historic Rajwada to unfurl the national flag at Archana office of the RSS.
However, police did not allow them for the reason that they had not taken permission. The Congress leaders were threatened that if they continued with their plan without permission, the police will be constrained to arrest them.
However, the Congress leaders remained unrelenting and moved ahead towards the RSS office but they were stopped by RSS volunteers.
In the meantime, when the RSS came to know about the Congress plan, an RSS `kaarvahak' Dilip Jain extended welcome to the Congress leaders saying that the RSS office is open for everyone and accordingly the RSS activists rolled out the red carpet for the Congress leaders at their office, offered snacks and tea to them and later hoisted the tricolour at the Archana office of the RSS unitedly with the Congress leaders. On the occasion, RSS senior `pracharak' Prakash Solapurkar was also present.