Chief Minister Narendra Modi needs to win over either the RSS or his rivals in Delhi to emerge as the undisputed leader within the Sangh Parivar. Without one or the other, he cannot win. This triangular contest is what constrains Modi's emergence as a national leader in his own right, feels Sonali Ranade.
The Congress in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday took serious exception to the comments of MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi that the ruling party has become 'communal' and allowed Sangh Parivar activists to have a 'free run'.
By successfully orchestrating the ouster of rival Sanjay Joshi from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed that the Sangh Parivar has fallen in line with his style of functioning and larger-than-the-organisation persona. Neerja Chowdhury reports
In yet another instance of growing feud within Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh Parivar, an article in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh mouthpiece has criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his style of functioning and also indicated that the party has several other prime ministerial candidates.
Despite the presence of top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders in Gujarat over the last two days to discuss the future strategy of the Sangh Parivar, no meeting took place between them and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, fuelling speculation that all is not well.
'The Sangh Parivar's position is that whatever gold that is there in a temple should remain there. It shouldn't be taken away by anyone.' 'See, we are not misappropriating anything; we are only using it for the welfare of the temple and the devotees.'
While it is almost certain that Gadkari won't get a second term as BJP president, the RSS wants to ease him out without diminishing its own clout within the saffron pariwar. Sheela Bhatt analyses the situation.
Congress on Sunday expressed surprise over the Modi government's "inability" to rein in affiliates of Sangh Parivar "brewing communal hatred and mistrust" for electoral gains.
The senior leader also said that Jaitley was known and respected for his 'sharp, analytical mind and everyone in the BJP always depended on him for finding solutions to complex issues'.
Prashant Kishor feels that the Congress is a national party that can counter the BJP.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's reported ambition to become the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate in 2014 may remain unfulfilled.
Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan on Wednesday announced his resignation amidst mounting criticism from various quarters, including the Opposition, over his controversial remarks against the Constitution recently.
Congress legislators will spend Thursday night inside the Karnataka legislative assembly and council, demanding the sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and also that he be booked for sedition for his statement about the national flag.
Giving in to demands of the BJP, the Congress-led state government has now decided to hand over the probe to CBI
The Bharatiya Janata Party is pulling in different directions on the kind of role Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should play in the future, even before the issue has come up for discussion in the party fora. Neerja Chowdhury analyses
Unanimously rejecting the Somasekhara report, absolving Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar from the attacks on churches and prayer halls in several places in Karnataka in 2008, the Christian community in the state on Saturday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the strikes.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader Sanjay Joshi may not be seeing eye to eye now, but at one time they were friends and had in fact started their political careers together in Gujarat.
A senior police officer told PTI that they were taken into custody after they had offered prayers.
Five persons, including founder of local terror group Tehreek-Ghalba-e-Islam Viqaruddin Ahmed, were on Tuesday killed in an encounter with the police in Telangana's Warangal district.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday dismissed as wrong the allegations that two nuns belonging to a Kerala-based congregation were "attacked" during a train journey via Uttar Pradesh recently and alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was "making false statements" on the issue.
Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara on Friday said controversies and talk about individuals should be brushed aside, instead the focus should be on the issue of tackling corruption and black money.
In June 2008, journalist Sadanand Menon parsed the Delhi high court ruling on MF Husain's art, and said, 'No modern judgment pertaining to artistic freedom has ever quoted an artist or has been so categorical.' On Husain's passing away, we reproduce the article
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh held demonstrations in several parts of the country accusing the Congress of hatching a "political conspiracy" to malign its image and "falsely" implicating its senior leader Indresh Kumar in the Ajmer blast case.
The BJP which stormed into Mamata Banerjee's fortress earlier this year by bagging 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats faced immense flak when the final NRC in Assam left out Bengali Hindus in large numbers.
Member of Lokpal Bill Joint Drafting Committee Prasant Bhusan on Saturday said he was 'unhappy' at the presence of Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara on the dais, where Baba Ramdev is on a hunger strike against black money, saying the platform should not be used by 'communal' forces."I am unhappy with the presence of Sadhvi Ritambhara. You cannot prevent anyone from supporting a cause but the platform should not be allowed to be used by communal forces," said Bhusan.
Justice N Santosh Hegde, a representative of the civil society in the joint drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill, on Saturday said that there is nothing wrong in the presence of Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara on the dais where Baba Ramdev is on a hunger strike against black money. When informed that Ramdev had assured Anna Hazare on Friday that no communal element will be allowed to join his satyagraha, Hegde said, "Suppose the Muslim League comes out on Sunday?"
Theatre artists, noted film and literary personalities, and members of many progressive groups in Karnataka have decided to go on a dharna on March 17 to protest against the attempts of some local Sangh Parivar leaders in Udupi district to stop the construction work of Charlie Chaplin's 62 foot statue at Baindoor.
'Kejriwal tries to project that his party is not Hindu virodhi.'
Indicating that he may not be in the race for becoming the party's Prime Ministerial candidate in the next elections, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Wednesday said that the Sangh Parivar, his party and fellow workers had given him "much more" than what the top post holds.
'Strategy is to divide and polarise electorate on communal lines.'
The activists barged into the building housing Headlines Today channel and its sister channel Aaj Tak on Friday evening in Videocon Towers in the national capital. They damaged furniture in the office lobby, police said.
Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday expressed serious concern over reports that some Sangh Parivar leaders had allegedly sought to take "revenge" on the minority community for the killing of a VHP leader.
'We don't feel that the law and order situation will turn bad because of our agitation.'
Parliament was on Thursday paralysed for the second day with the Opposition storming the Well in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, demanding the ouster of Telecom Minister A Raja, while Congress members denounced the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for K S Sudarshan's anti-Sonia Gandhi remarks.In the Lok Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party members rushed to the Well, raising slogans against Raja. They were joined by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Shiv Sena members.
The Congress is apprehending that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the sangh parivar would move to create trouble to make itself once again relevant politically, and for that they would fall back on the tried-and-tested Ram Janmabhoomi issue.
'Invoking 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act-1983, which says a uniform style of clothes has to be worn compulsorily. The private school administration can choose a uniform of their choice,' the government order said.
Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Party chief L K Advani asked his party MPs to donate Rs 10,000 from their salary for providing relief to victims of flash floods in Leh and suggested that the MPLAD funds be diverted for rehabilitation and rebuilding of the region.
'A one party-State, with only one kind of Indian,' argues Mihir S Sharma.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday stepped up efforts to rescue the Bharatiya Janata Party from its current crisis, by possibly discussing a road map ahead, as he held hectic parleys with L K Advani and top leaders including Murli Manohar Joshi.There were indications that the BJP could come out with some statement on Sunday but Sangh Parivar sources said nothing spectacular could be expected.
Vimal Tomar, Pankaj Mishra, Vimal Rajoria, Shashi Ranjan Akela, Hemant Dubey and Sudhir Yadav -- all activists of the sangh parivar affliated-ABVP -- were charged with murder and rioting by unlawful assembly.