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Officials of a US advisory body on religious freedom have called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and asked the American government not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders or have high-level meetings with them. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) chair Asif Mahmood said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a member of the RSS, which he described as an umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities. Mahmood's remarks came weeks ahead of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to the US to participate in the'Universal Oneness Celebrations' organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) in New York on August 29. USCIRF Commissioner Gene Mills said RSS leaders, even when affiliated with the Indian government, should not be honoured with high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies. "Instead, the USG (US Government) should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members found ...
The Congress on Thursday condemned the "purification" of the rally venue in Uttarakhand's Haldwani after a public meeting addressed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and alleged that the incident reflected the "anti-Dalit" mindset of the BJP and RSS. Kharge, who is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, also raised the matter in the House and demanded the registration of a case under the Untouchability Act against those involved even as Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Union minister J P Nadda condemned the incident. "Is this the way democracy works? How are you protecting the Constitution?" Kharge asked. He also said he does not intend to politicise the issue, but they have "insulted" him by purifying the stage. Nadda said the matter will be investigated. "...The BJP does not subscribe to such activities. We will investigate it, and I condemn this incident," he said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the "purification" of the stage after the public meeting "is not just an insult t
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said India's youths are the country's greatest strength as he spoke about their "dard (pain), data, and daulat (wealth)" to attack the BJP and the RSS. Addressing the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme at KP Ground here, Gandhi said, "You are the power and pride of India. When I say this, I am talking about every Indian citizen." He added, "This evening I want to speak to you about dard, data, and daulat." While there is much talk about America, China and Russia, "India's youths are unparalleled," he said. In his speech, Gandhi, who wore a half-sleeve pink shirt, throwing an uncharacteristic dash of colour against his usual white, touched upon several topics, from AI and data gathering to the BJP-RSS combine, which he accused of holding sway over young people's minds. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said India has a big chunk of young population and the data it generates would be the key driver of the country's economy in the 21st ...
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that after the 1947 Partition, the people who came to India were not refugees, but "warriors of struggle" who endured significant hardship and pain out of love for their motherland and "dharma". These people left behind their wealth, land and businesses built and nurtured over several generations in the newly created Pakistan and chose to come to India, he noted. Bhagwat was addressing a gathering in Nagpur on Wednesday at the 75th Foundation Day programme of the Sindhu Education Society, an organisation run by the Sindhi community. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader said post-Partition, people consciously decided to come to India from the other side, because they wanted to live in the land which is Bharat, where they can follow their religion without fear. "They were not refugees, though they were displaced, it was a wrong term used for them at that time. They were warriors (sangharshrath yodha) who struggled out of love for their ...
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said attempts were being made both within and outside India to create false narratives and spread false reports to weaken the country's rise. Those opposing India's rise were using different means despite having greater resources, he said at a programme here on Maharana Pratap Jayanti without elaborating. "Today, people are trying to ensure India does not rise. False narratives are being created, false reports are being spread, and many tactics are being used to mislead," he said. Those doing so have population, power, financial strength and organisational capacity, yet we must stand firm on the basis of our values, he said. Bhagwat asserted that India's rise was important not only for itself but for global welfare. "A strong India is necessary for the world as well," he said. Referring to the legacy of Maharana Pratap and the historic Battle of Haldighati, the RSS chief said it was as a symbol of India's civilisational resistance. "Our histo
The RSS on Wednesday alleged that petrol bombs were hurled at its office in Ranchi in the early hours, prompting the police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. The incident took place around 12.30 am at the RSS office in Nivaranpur in the Chutia police station area, according to RSS functionaries. Snigdha Ranjan, the head of the RSS's media coordination in Ranchi, alleged that petrol bombs were thrown at the premises. Police, however, said the exact nature of the objects used would be confirmed only after a detailed investigation. "Parts of two glass bottles were recovered from the spot. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has been called to ascertain the contents of the bottles," Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan told PTI. Asked whether the bottles contained petrol, he said it would be premature to draw conclusions before the forensic examination is completed. "Efforts are underway to identify those involved in the incident," he added. Uni
People-to-people contact is key to breaking the deadlock with Pakistan and there should always be a window for dialogue, top RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Tuesday. In an interview with PTI Videos, Hosabale said Pakistan's military and political leadership have lost India's confidence and it is time for civil society to lead the way. "The security and self-respect of a country have to be protected and the government of the day should take care of it. But at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them in a dialogue," he said. The RSS general secretary termed people-to-people contact the key in breaking the deadlock between the two countries and said that it "should be tried more and more now". While the government has been silent on track-two diplomacy, several intellectuals, including opposition leaders, have long advocated civil society engagement. "This is the one hope I think, because I believe strongly that ultimately the c
The Indian diaspora should be loyal to the country they reside in and strive to be better citizens, while demonstrating that Hindus can contribute to local society and provide leadership in all walks of life, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said here. Hosabale, who is on a visit to the US, said his conversations with a cross-section of Americans were focused on addressing misconceptions about the RSS that he said were a result of propaganda against the 100-year-old organisation for the past several decades. "All these years, the RSS has been working silently with the belief that our work is the message. Now, we thought that it is better to reach out. Our words should also become the message," Hosabale told PTI in an interview here. Hosabale arrived in the US last week after a tour of the UK, where he interacted with academic circles, thought leaders, policy experts and a cross-section of the Indian diaspora as part of the outreach efforts as the RSS marks its centenary ...
Selfish interests and the desire for dominance were the root cause of conflicts in the world, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Friday, asserting that lasting peace can only be achieved through unity, discipline and adherence to dharma. Addressing a gathering in Nagpur, Bhagwat said that for 2,000 years the world has experimented with various ideas to resolve conflicts with little success. Religious intolerance, forced conversions and ideas of superiority and inferiority still exist, he pointed out. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief was speaking at the gathering after laying the foundation stone for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's office in the city. Bhagwat said that India's ancient wisdom teaches that "all are connected and one", and called for a shift from conflict to harmony and cooperation. He further noted that even modern science is gradually moving towards this understanding. The RSS chief noted that selfish interests and the desire for dominance were the root cause o
The expansion of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's work over the last year and plans for the future will be discussed at a key three-day meet of its top decision-making body in Haryana's Samalkha from March 13, a senior RSS functionary said on Wednesday. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, along with other top Sangh leaders, BJP chief Nitin Nabin and presidents and other senior functionaries of its 32 sister organisations, among others, will attend the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS). Addressing a press conference in Samalkha, Panipat, Sunil Ambekar, RSS' Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, said the meeting will review the activities of the Sangh during 2025-26 and present reports on significant initiatives carried out across various regions. From the RSS' organisational perspective, ABPS is the apex decision-making body of the Sangh. As this year marks the centenary of the Sangh, the meeting will include detailed discussions on major programmes and campaigns organised as part of the ...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appeared before a court at Bhiwandi in the district in a defamation case filed by an RSS activist, and presented his party's Maharashtra unit chief Harshwardhan Sapkal as his new 'surety' or guarantor for bail. As he travelled to Bhiwandi by road after landing in Mumbai, BJP workers showed him black flags at Mulund toll plaza and shouted slogans, accusing the Congress of maligning India's image through the Youth Congress's protest at the AI summit in Delhi. Gandhi, accompanied by Sapkal, party MP Varsha Gaikwad and his lawyers Narayan Iyer and Kushal Mor, reached the magistrate's court around 10:30 am. The court had asked the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha to appear in person and provide a new surety following the death of previous guarantor, former Union Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, in December last year. Chakurkar had stood surety when the court granted bail to the Congress leader in 2016 upon his appearance. Sapkal on Saturda
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that despite the uniform and physical exercises, the Sangh is not a paramilitary organisation, and it would also be a huge mistake to try to understand it by looking at the BJP. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh works to unite society and imbue it with the necessary qualities and virtues to ensure that India does not fall into the clutches of a foreign power again, he said, addressing a gathering of prominent persons here on Friday. "We wear a uniform, take out marches and do stick exercise. (But) If someone thinks it is a paramilitary organisation, it will be a mistake," he said, adding that it was difficult to understand the Sangh, which was a unique organisation. "If you want to understand the Sangh by looking at the BJP, it will be a huge mistake. The same (mistake) will happen if you try to understand it by looking at Vidya Bharti (an RSS-affiliated organisation)," Bhagwat said. Notably, the RSS is widely considered the parent organisation of the