Backing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's elevation in the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that Hindutva was the only way to bring about change in the country.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh described as shocking and unfortunate BJP patriarch L K Advani's resignation from all party posts over Narendra Modi's elevation as its campaign committee chief, noting all is not well in the saffron party.
Modi will address a rally to boost BJP candidate Smriti Irani's chances.
"He was an icon of the Indian history and will remain so. There can be a difference of opinion about him, but to look down on him as inferior is not appropriate and justifiable. He was a freedom fighter and a staunch nationalist, but people who follow the Marxist and Leninist ideology are the ones who accuse Savarkar of being a fascist...," Singh said, adding that the hatred towards Savarkar is illogical and unplaced.
Speculation has gained ground that she will contest from Rampur as she has been elected from there twice.
By March 17 it would be clear on who will be anointed to the post.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday made it clear that he would not contest the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, slated to be held later this year, but could contest the Lok Sabha elections if the party permits him.
The New York-based Sikhs For Justice has sought a court order directing US Secretary of State John Kerry to designate the RSS a 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation,' which Preet Bharara says the US government intends to move to dismiss.
The BJP's effort comes in the wake of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal set to attend the eighth RCEP ministerial meeting in Bangkok from October 10 to 12.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his deputy Minister of State for Home RPN Singh on Wednesday rejected the allegation levelled by 2007 Ajmer blast accused Bhavesh Patel that they had pressured him to implicate top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionaries in the case, saying they do not know him.
Sources said that Shah had a detailed discussion with him on Modigate.
Keshav Prasad Maurya's election from Sirathu in Kaushambi will be among the keenly watched contests in UP. If he and the BJP win, will he be luckier this time?
'If Kanhaiya can be attacked inside the court, who will assure us about his security now when he is back on the JNU campus?'
She wanted to take a dip in the Shipra river in Ujjain and had secured an order from a court in Dewas district.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday refused to comment on Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed's controversial tweet on the origin of Indian Mujahideen, a banned terror outfit. While Shinde did not comment when asked about Ahmed's tweet that Indian Mujahideen was formed after the Gujarat riots, his deputy R P N Singh feigned ignorance over the tweet.
"If election is held in the country today, the BJP would draw a nought," the RJD chief said.
Narendra Modi, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Pratibha Patil, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle took blessings of him.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narayan Rane, all of whom are being seen as probables for induction as ministers in the Modi government, arrived in the national capital on Tuesday amid indications that the Union Council of Ministers is likely to be expanded on Wednesday.
The RSS will also offer special prayers to protect cows.
As part of meetings to discuss the Bharatiya Janata Party's post-poll strategy, party President Rajnath Singh met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Suresh Soni.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday hit back at Narendra Modi for the "56-inch chest" remark alluding to his father and Samajwadi Party supreme Mulayam Singh, saying the BJP prime ministerial candidate is the "biggest liar" with a "56-inch belly".
Prime Minister Modi saw a reflection of himself -- she does not come from a political background, has no lineage, and had a lifetime of personal struggle and sacrifice.
"Leaders like Vajpayee, Advani treated me with respect," the JD-U leader said.
To mark the day, the BJP has asked its workers to facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination drive as it eyes record-breaking numbers on Friday.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader and in-charge of its media and public relations Ram Madhav has been deputed by the Sangh to work in the Bharatiya Janata Party where he is expected to be given a role by the new party president.
Against the backdrop of Kerala's appetite for commonsense, it was assumed that this controversy would pass. Respect for rationalism and scientific outlook is strong in the state despite political forces gnawing at it for their own goals, observes Shyam G Menon.
Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party government over the Mathura violence, he said it is the biggest failure of the state government which has also failed to control 'goonda raj' in the state.
When Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's name was floated as Venkaiah Naidu's successor as vice president, the RSS instead suggested Jagdeep Dhankar, indicating that he was also Mohan Bhagwat's choice, states Prakash Bhandari.
The Opposition claimed that Singh "cannot be a standalone carrier", with the Congress's leader in LoK Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, saying the question will now arise who were the real culprits behind the last year Pulwama attack. Taking a swipe at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Bharatiya Janata Party's ideological mentor, Chowdhury said had police officer Davinder Singh been "Davinder Khan", the reaction of the "troll regiment of the RSS" would have been different.
The ambit of the G-23 grouping increased this time as some more leaders -- Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, former Gujarat chief minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and former Haryana speaker Kuldeep Sharma -- joined them.
During his 15-year-tenure in the office, Chouhan transformed himself from being a shy, simple and vulnerable politician to a wily leader with mass appeal.
Taking a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said if the 'Iron Man' had become the nation's first prime minister then both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh would have been non-existent.
After a report mentioned that Facebook overlooked its hate speech policies in cases of BJP MLA T Raja Singh and 3 others, Shashi Tharoor, chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT, said the committee 'would certainly wish to hear from Facebook'.
In comments that could stoke a fresh controversy, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has likened Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to mythological demon king Ravan while slamming Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh over Wednesday's attack on the Aam Aadmi Party office in Ghaziabad.
Three Indians have joined a Sikh rights group in filing an amended lawsuit appealing a US court to designate the RSS as a "terror group".
'The government is scared of this Congress yatra, that is why various orders and letters are being issued'
A day after its debacle in the Kolkata civic poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday announced the formation of its new office bearers committee in West Bengal, axed several members of its old guard and inducted new leaders to strengthen the party in the state.
Labelling the NIA as a 'mere political tool' of the BJP government at the Centre, Gogoi said the judgment will be a landmark for those arrested through the misuse of the two anti-terror laws.
A controversy has erupted over a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist and accused in a murder case placing a turban on the head of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to Thiruvananthapuram last week. The incident, which has also raised security issues, happened when Singh visited the SreePadmanabhaswamyTemple last Saturday.
The BJP, which has traditionally been considered as the party of upper castes and Vaishyas/Baniyas, seems to be consolidating its base especially among Vaishyas and EBCs.