Patna, Jul 14 (IANS): Patna SSP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon has drawn criticism after he "compared" the Popular Front of India (PFI) with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Haribhushan Thakur slamming Dhillon, demanded his termination from the post after his public statement. He said that the Patna SSP has "lost his mental balance".

The Patna SSP, after the arrest of three persons including a former member of Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) named Akhtar Parvez, a retired sub-inspector of Jharkhand, Jalaluddin and a native of Phulwari Sharif Arman Malik on Thursday for providing training on Islamic extremism and terrorism to Muslim youth of the country under the PFI, said that they were giving training in martial arts and physical training similar to the branches (shakha) of RSS.

"The RSS is a nationalist organisation in the country which gives a lesson of unity, integrity and love. It is a cultural organisation based on patriotism. Comparing it with a banned organisation is unfortunate and extremely shocking. The Patna SSP has no right to remain on the post. The state government should terminate him and he should apologise to the nation," Thakur said.

Nikhil Anand, the national general secretary of BJP OBC wing and spokesperson, said: "The IAS and the IPS officers are considered above politics and beyond any influence. The way SSP Dhillon compared the PFI with RSS is extremely unfortunate, shameful and condemnable. These kinds of statements pass wrong messages to society. RSS is an organisation which is going to complete 100 years which promote national interest and nationalism."

"PFI having close links with militant, anti-national and Islamic fundamentalist organisations and comparing it with RSS is completely irresponsible. If he wants to go into politics, he should resign from the post of SSP," Anand said.