Guwahati, July 22 (IANS): The Congress on Saturday "cleansed" with milk a college located at Mariani in Assam's tea-rich Jorhat district after the college authorities allowed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to organise a training camp in the campus.

Congress sitting MLA from Mariani constituency, Rupjyoti Kurmi staged a protest and dharna in front of the college and locked the campus from outside, opposing the move of the college principal to allow the "religious minded" RSS to organize a training camp within the campus. The RSS has organised a 10-day training camp in the college from July 18.

Kurmi, accompanied by his supporters and members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), on Saturday organised a 'shuddhikaran' (cleansing) of the campus by spraying milk in certain parts of the college. The Jorhat district administration has deployed security forces in and around the college, apprehending clashes.

"It is very shocking. Everyone knows who are the RSS. People know the character of the RSS. How can the principal of the college allow the RSS to organise a training camp in an educational institution?" said Kurmi. He said they had demanded that the administration force the RSS to shut down its camp, but it was yet to take any step in this regard.

Congress spokesman and former Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi also slammed the BJP-led government in Assam for allowing use of an educational institution for the training camp of a religion-based organisation like RSS.

"The BJP-led government has influenced the administration for its political motive and allowed the RSS to organize the camp inside the college campus," Bordoloi said, terming the development as shameful.

"The BJP has been playing politics on the basis of religion. They are encouraging settlement of Bangladeshi Hindus. Now they are trying to promote RSS ideology in schools and colleges by allowing the RSS to organize a training camp in the college. This is going to affect the secular fabric of the country and I appeal to all the citizens of Assam to come out and oppose the move," said Bordoloi.