CPI doesn't need to learn patriotism from RSS: D Raja
A controversy erupted after a Bharat Mata portrait, allegedly associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakhas, was used at a World Environment Day event at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, which led Kerala minister P Prasad, a Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, to boycott the programme.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Ink of dictatorship ...': Opposition slams 11 years of Modi govt; Cong releases report card for 'detailed expose'
NEW DELHI: While the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) on Monday lauded 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, describing it as a period marked by a "remarkable transformation" in Indian politics, the opposition parties sharply criticised the Centre shortcomings across multiple key areas, accusing it of failing to deliver on several important fronts. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi latched on the Mumbai railway accident to attack the government and accused it of "selling dreams of 2047." "11 years of Modi government = no accountability, no change, only propaganda. The government has stopped talking about 2025 and is now selling dreams of 2047. Who will see what the country is facing today?" Rahul wrote on X. He added in another post: "The 11 years of the Modi government have been full of humiliation, violence, and discrimination against Dalits, Adivasis, backward classes, and minorities. The conspiracy to institutionally make them second-class citizens and keep them away from the mainstream is continuing." 'Wasted 11 years rubbing the ink of dictatorship' Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the "Modi government has wasted the last 11 years rubbing the ink of dictatorship on every page of the Constitution." "In the last 11 years, the Modi government has caused severe damage to Indian democracy, the economy, and the social fabric," Kharge said. "BJP-RSS weakened every constitutional institution and attacked their autonomy—whether by stealing public opinion and toppling governments through the back door or by forcibly imposing one-party rule. During this period, the rights of the states were ignored and the federal structure was weakened. There have been continuous efforts to spread hatred, threats, and fear in society. Exploitation of Dalits, tribals, backward classes, minorities, and weaker sections has increased. The conspiracy to deprive them of reservation and equal rights continues. The unending violence in Manipur is the biggest proof of the BJP's administrative failure," he added. "BJP-RSS made the country's GDP growth rate accustomed to 5–6%, compared to 8% on average during the UPA era. Instead of the promise of 2 crore jobs every year, crores of jobs have been lost. Due to inflation, public savings are at their lowest in 50 years, and economic inequality is at a 100-year high. Demonetisation, flawed GST implementation, unplanned lockdown, and the blow to the unorganised sector have ruined the future of crores of people. Make in India, Startup India , Stand Up India, Digital India, Namami Gange, and 100 Smart Cities—all have failed. Railways have been ruined. The Modi government is only cutting ribbons of infrastructure built by the Congress-UPA," he said. '11 Saal, Jhoothe Vikas ke Vaade' Congress also presented a report card of PM Modi's tenure by releasing two sets of documents to "expose the BJP's broken promises." At a press conference, AICC research department head Rajeev Gowda, who prepared the booklet, alleged, "This government is very good at fake news and propaganda. It is our job as the Opposition to let people know the grim reality." The booklet 'Ek Aur Baar Jumla Sarkar ', he said, focuses on promises made by the BJP in its 2024 manifesto. The second, '11 Saal Jhoothe Vikas Ke Vaade'*, is a "detailed exposé" of the BJP's hollow claims. "In the 11-Saal document, one of the first themes they (BJP) highlight is care for the poor and marginalised. They boast that 81 crore people are getting free food grains under PMGKAY. But the basic problem of hunger is a much larger crisis in India, which ranks 105th out of 127 countries on the World Hunger Index. "Its implications: malnutrition is affecting our children terribly. Stunting is at 35.5%, wasting at 19.3%, and underweight children at 32.1%," Gowda said. Congress also accused PM Modi of failing to protect the country, claiming that "52 terrorist attacks" had occurred in the last year. "In one year of the Modi government: 52 terrorist attacks; 36 soldiers martyred; 53 soldiers injured; 56 civilians killed; 82 civilians injured," the party stated. "Narendra Modi has failed in protecting the country," it added. 'People of the BJP are working against each other' Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also raised questions about the Centre's performance in education, employment, and economic activity. He alleged a lack of coordination between the BJP-led central and Uttar Pradesh governments, citing their ongoing schemes. Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "There's a phrase in Hindi—'Ek pe ek gyarah' and the other 'Nau Do Gyarah'. This might be their 11 years. If we add 11 years of the Central government and 9 years of the Uttar Pradesh government, that totals 20 years. The government must give an account of these 20 years. What have they done for the people? How far have we progressed in education? How successful have we been in providing employment or attracting investment?" "The people of Uttar Pradesh will analyse this more closely, since the Prime Minister himself is an MP from the state. There is no coordination between Delhi and Lucknow—it's evident in the schemes. If even the adopted villages haven't changed, it raises serious questions. The BJP leaders are working against each other. There are many unanswered questions on both achievements and failures. The people will evaluate. There is large-scale unemployment and inflation in Uttar Pradesh." 'This is Amrit Kaal' In contrast, addressing a press conference in the national capital, BJP president JP Nadda said the past 11 years had seen a decisive shift from politics based on "appeasement" to one driven by "performance, accountability, and responsible governance." 'It should be written in golden letters that under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi, a remarkable transformation has taken place over the past 11 years. PM Modi has reshaped Indian political culture. In the past, politics was driven by appeasement strategies aimed at preserving power. Now, under PM Modi, the focus is on performance, accountability, and responsible governance. This has become the new normal,' Nadda said. Calling the NDA a 'people-led government,' Nadda claimed that the Modi administration had created a forward-looking, transparent, and futuristic model of governance. "Modi government is a people-led government. Over the past years, we have brought transparency and built a future-ready administration. That is why we talk about Viksit Bharat. This is Amrit Kaal. The past 11 years have laid a strong foundation for a truly developed and self-reliant India."
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Teacher detained for trying to bribe Education Minister with Rs 5,000
The Rajasthan Police have detained a government teacher for allegedly trying to bribe the cabinet minister for School Education, Madan Dilawar, at his Jaipur residence on Monday. The incident happened when the minister was holding a public hearing at his official residence in Civil Lines area. As per the minister, the teacher Chandrakant Vaishnav arrived with a letter, a box of sweets, and an envelope. The minister said that he didn't suspect anything upon seeing the envelope as these are usual with the letters, 'thinking it might have someone's recommendation. But then my photographer Bharat told me that apparently the envelope has money. Once we opened, it had Rs 5,000.' Vaishnav, posted as a Level 2 science teacher in Banswara's Ghatol, was seeking a recommendation for appointment as a writer in the textbook committee for science for Classes 6-8, which comes under the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT). To influence the minister, who has an RSS background, Vaishnav stated in his letter that he had been associated with RSS's student organisation, the 'Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Sangh ideology since his student days.' He said that currently, while holding the post of a teacher, he is also associated 'with organisations like the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, which are associated with the ideology of the Sangh.' Indicating his willingness to rewrite textbooks as per the ideology, Vaishnav said that the new textbooks will be drafted 'as per the intention of the present government' and sought a recommendation from the minister for his inclusion in the committee. Dilawar said that this was the first such instance of his life which is also the 'worst.' 'This is the first such instance in my life; I have been in politics for 35-36 years and am a third time minister. It is quite painful that someone could think that the Education Minister can take a bribe and act on their request,' Dilawar said, adding that this was also the first time he saw this person. Taking a dig at the Congress, Dilawar said, 'I would not like to comment on the past or future. There could have been a tradition (to bribe the minister). Hence, he dared to do this.' Vaishnav, now suspended, is now being questioned by the Jaipur Police.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Modi government weakened autonomy of constitutional institutions in past 11 years: Congress
The past 11 years of the Narendra Modi government has dealt a deep blow to the country's social fabric, democracy and economy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday (June 9, 2025). In a post on X, Mr. Kharge alleged, 'The Modi government has wasted the last 11 years in smearing the ink of dictatorship on every page of the Constitution'. 'The BJP-RSS has weakened every constitutional institution and attacked their autonomy,' he added. The Congress chief accused the Modi government of 'stealing people's mandate, toppling governments through the back door, imposing one-party dictatorship and weakening the federal structure'. 'Efforts are constantly being made to spread an environment of hatred, threats and fear,' he added. Mr. Kharge said the exploitation of Dalits, tribals, backwards, minority and weaker sections has increased continuously, Manipur is witnessing unending violence, and the BJP-RSS has made it a habit to keep the country's GDP growth rate at 5-6% from the average of 8% growth. Growing inequality, unemployment, inflation had been the fallout of wrong policies such as demonetisation, wrong GST and unplanned lockdown that affected the unorganised sector, the Congress chief said.. He added that programmes like Make in India, Startup India, Stand up India, Digital India, Namami Gange, and 100 SMART cities had all failed. 'Railways have been ruined. Only the ribbons of the infrastructure painstakingly built by the Congress-UPA have been cut,' Mr. Kharge claimed. Senior leader Rahul Gandhi pointed out how several people lost their lives in an overcrowded local train in Mumbai when the government was busy celebrating its third term. '11 years of Modi government = no accountability, no change, only propaganda. The government has stopped talking about 2025 and is now selling dreams of 2047,' Mr. Gandhi said in a post on X. Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't hold press conferences. 'Celebrating 11 years but still the Prime Minister remains 'nau do gyarah' from an unscripted and pre-scheduled press conference. Bharat Mandapam is waiting for him,' Mr. Ramesh said, using a Hindi idiom. At a press conference, Rajeev Gowda, who heads the party's research wing, along with spokesperson Mahima Singh, released two booklets, countering the government claims of its achievements. 'The one thing this government has been good at is propaganda and fake news. They are number one in that. It is our job as a responsible Opposition to make sure that the people of India know the grim reality,' Mr. Gowda said.
