Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a country-wide marathon to be organised on October 31 to celebrate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Union Minister said on Wednesday.
Narendra Modi's recent observation that India's fate would have been different had Sardar Patel been the country's first prime minister, instead of Jawaharlal Nehru, has caused a stampede of public opinion.
The Congress party has demanded that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) clarify its stance on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse, being an RSS member. This demand follows a court statement by Satyaki Savarkar, V D Savarkar's grandnephew, who testified that Nathuram Godse and his brother Gopal Godse were "active workers" of the RSS. The statement was made during a defamation complaint hearing filed by Satyaki Savarkar against Rahul Gandhi.
Kharge alleged that it was the leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha and RSS and later, the Jan Sangh, who made statements that Kashmir should be declared an independent country.
On the eve of Sardar Patel's birth anniversary rediff.com publishes exclusive excerpts of his soon to be published book Sardar: The Saint Emperor.
On the eve of Sardar Patel's birth anniversary rediff.com publishes exclusive excerpts of his soon to be published book Sardar: The Saint Emperor.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed optimism about the state securing hosting rights for the World Athletics Championship 2031 after meeting a delegation from the international governing body. The delegation is assessing Gujarat's sports infrastructure and readiness for both the 2028 U20 Championships and the 2031 senior championships, highlighting the state's growing ambition to host major global sporting events.
The Congress Working Committee has decided to adhere to its 1937 resolution, mandating that only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' be sung at all party events, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which labelled the Congress the 'new Muslim League'.
Invoking Sardar Patel, BJP's prime ministerial hopeful, Narendra Modi asked the people of Gujarat to pay homage to the legendary freedom fighter by voting him to power in Delhi, and said if he is sent to jail he will open a tea stall there.
The Congress on Tuesday accused Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to appropriate Sardar Patel's legacy, which "belongs to Congress", and reminded that Patel had said that it was the "communal poison of RSS" which killed Mahatma Gandhi.
'Nehru's hegemonic politics has been responsible for many ills, which undoubtedly includes Kashmir'
The 182-metre 'Statue of Unity', being built at Sadhu Bet in Narmada district, is slated to be inaugurated by Modi on Patel's birth anniversary on October 31.
Take Kashmir but don't talk of Hyderabad, Soz claimed Patel told the then Pak PM.
'It is time India withdraws the complaint from the UN and fully integrates the state of J&K into the Indian Union,' recommends Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Had it been know that Jinnah suffered from tuberculosis and did not have much time to live, there is a possibility Partition could have been averted.
The debate on Sardar Patel's legacy is less about the Sardar and more about the acute sense of threat felt by the Delhi establishment at the rise of Narendra Modi and questions he has raised about the disproportionate share of credit given to a single family, says Colonel (retd) Anil Athale.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi has launched the 'Shaktidoot 2.0' statewide sports scheme, significantly increasing financial assistance for athletes up to Rs 50 lakh. The initiative also focuses on identifying grassroots talent, supporting differently-abled players, and inaugurating sports complexes and libraries worth over Rs 388 crore. The scheme introduces a transparent, performance-based selection process and immediate aid for exceptional non-scheme players.
He blamed policies of the Congress-led governments for the Kashmir issue remaining unresolved.
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New Delhi is under a thick blanket of security as it hosts top world leaders for the BRICS Summit. Extensive security measures, including thousands of personnel and CCTV cameras, are in place. Commuters can expect temporary traffic restrictions and diversions due to VVIP movements, though officials aim to minimise public inconvenience.
The Delhi Traffic Police has issued a detailed advisory regarding traffic restrictions and diversions during the upcoming BRICS Summit from September 12-13. While Delhi will not be shut down, commuters should expect temporary stoppages and diversions, especially on routes used by VVIP convoys. The advisory covers movement for residents, essential services, public transport, and advice for exam candidates and hospital visitors, urging reliance on official updates.
Fifteen-year-old Delhi chess prodigy Vandan Alankar Sawai stuns World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz tournament.
The Congress party has criticised the decision to change the Indian hockey team's jersey colour to saffron, calling it a 'narrow-minded political experiment' and demanding the government reconsider the move.
The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for heavy vehicular movement and restrictions around the Parliament complex ahead of the Monsoon Session and a planned 'Chalo Sansad' march by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Security has been significantly intensified across New Delhi, with additional personnel, barricades, and checks to manage traffic and maintain law and order during the protest against alleged NEET irregularities.
He also said that although India got independence much before Goa became free, people of the country could not enjoy at that time as they felt uneasy thinking that one part was the country was still under foreign rule.
Ram V Sutar, 89, has already created more than 200 distinct statues, many of them massive. Now, he is a leading contender for the commission to produce the world's largest statue: A 597-foot tall rendering of Sardar Patel, an independence leader who played a crucial role in uniting India's fractious states.
Record-breaking crowds and unforgettable finals have made sure the Narendra Modi stadium has become one of the grandest stages in Indian Premier League history.
A committee formed by West Bengal's BJP government is considering proposals to rename several prominent roads, bridges, and public places in Kolkata, including those named after communist leaders Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, and Ho Chi Minh. This move has sparked sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress and CPI(M), who view it as "vendetta politics" and an attempt to disrespect differing ideologies.
'Gandhi was Thakur and Gabbar was Jinnah.'
For 17 years, Mani Bhavan was Gandhi's Bombay home and nerve centre of the freedom movement.
Superstition is likely to rule the day with many believing that a small movement could result in the fall of a wicket.
A trainee IPS officer at SVPNPA, accused of stalking and sexually harassing a fellow woman trainee, attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance. He is currently hospitalised, and a case has been registered against him under various sections, including the BNS and IT Act.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJP-RSS, labelling them a "bunch of jokers" with no understanding of India, and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy as merely "hugging leaders." He also claimed the RSS has become an instrument of large capital, serving Adani and Ambani, and vowed that the Congress would keep pressure on the government until Modi and Shah resign. The BJP hit back, calling Gandhi immature and out of depth.
'Maybe, if Mr Modi can fire over Patel's gigantic shoulder, people will start to think that he is very much like Patel?' 'It's a long shot, but the Modi sheen has worn awfully thin, and after five years and a long, much-frayed rope, he faces real accountability from voters.' 'He needs any help he can get,' says Mitali Saran.
The Union home minister said that on November 15, a grand celebration will be held at the 'Statue of Unity' to mark the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hemang Joshi has invited Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to join a 'Unity March' passing through Vadodara, Gujarat, organized in honor of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh gave Defence Minister Rajnath Singh diary entries of Vallabhbhai Patel's daughter, disputing claims that Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid with public funds.
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Invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's work for national integration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said "unity, peace and harmony" was the first condition if India has to move forward and attain new heights of development.
Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Ahmedabad
