RSS has stood the test of time, says Udupi MP
Poojary criticised senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and B.K. Hariprasad for what he described as 'casual and misleading' remarks against the RSS. He chal-lenged them to visit an RSS shakha and understand its philosophy rooted in national-ism. On state politics, Poojary took aim at the Congress government in Karnataka, warn-ing of an impending 'administrative collapse' if internal leadership issues are not ad-dressed.
'There is already talk of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being replaced. Offi-cials are uncertain, and governance is suffering,' he said. He also questioned the state's finances, alleging that there's no money left for basic infrastructure such as shoes and socks in government schools.
'This government is functioning on pretence and borrowed time,' he added. Poojary welcomed the High Court's stay on the state government's decision to close down Jan Aushadhi Kendras and called on the Congress to stop blocking Centre-sponsored welfare programmes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rahul Gandhi has tea with 'dead' voters from Bihar, thanks ECI for experience
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 13, 2025) said he had a unique experience of having tea with some "dead" voters from Bihar and thanked the Election Commission (EC) for it. A group of seven voters from Bihar met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha at his residence and shared their experience of how they were declared "dead" by the EC and their names removed from the electoral rolls. "There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with 'dead people'. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!" Mr. Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. He also shared a video of his meeting with the "dead" voters. In it, Mr. Gandhi is heard telling them to move around and see Delhi as the "dead" cannot even be charged tickets. In the video, some of them told Mr. Gandhi that they came to know that they were "declared dead" by the EC during the special intensive revision (SIR), and were among the 65 lakh voters whose names have been removed from the electoral rolls of poll-bound Bihar. The group also told Mr. Gandhi that they appeared before the Supreme Court on Wednesday to get their voting rights back. The apex court is hearing petitions against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. In a statement, the party later said that seven voters from Bihar, all very much alive, shared tea with Rahul Gandhi today, even as the Election Commission's SIR list had them as "dead". Ramikbal Ray, Harendra Ray, Lalmuni Devi, Vachiya Devi, Lalwati Devi, Punam Kumari, and Munna Kumar all belong to Tejashwi Yadav's constituency, Raghopur. "They have been removed from the electoral rolls despite having completed the requisite paperwork for the SIR. "The Election Commission has not openly published lists of the people whom it has declared dead, migrated, etc. Our teams on the ground were able to identify these people only because they managed to informally get EC's internal report in two to three polling booths," the Congress said. These seven represent only a fraction of "unjustly" deleted voters in two to three polling booths in the constituency, it added. "This is not a clerical error — it is political disenfranchisement in plain sight. "After 'Vote Chori' was exposed in Bengaluru, it is clear that the Bihar SIR exercise is also compromised. When the living are struck off as dead, the death certificate is issued to democracy itself," the Congress said.
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Institutions advised against observing Partition horror day
The Kerala government has informed universities and affiliated colleges that observing 'Partition horror day' on Thursday, as directed by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, was not mandatory. Higher Education Minister R. Bindu told mediapersons on Wednesday that official instructions have been issued through the Directorate of Collegiate Education and the Directorate of Technical Education. Raj Bhavan had issued a directive asking all universities to observe the day, which falls on August 14, the eve of Independence Day. However, the Minister said the State government does not support conducting such programmes on university campuses. 'It is the view of the Kerala government that such programmes need not be conducted on our campuses. Such events run the risk of being transformed into platforms for religious hatred and social division, which contradict the principles upheld by the State's educational policy,' Dr. Bindu said. Independence Day is marked in Kerala every year with the focus on positive values to celebrate the unmatched contributions of freedom fighters and the inclusive ideals enshrined in the Constitution. 'To suddenly introduce a programme under the label of 'partition horrors' would inevitably lead to communal polarisation,' the Minister cautioned. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan reiterated his strong criticism of the Governor's directive, calling it a serious mistake and part of a larger agenda by the Sangh Parivar to divide the nation. He accused the Governor of attempting to implement a divisive agenda in line with the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. 'They have now introduced a new tool, the fear of partition, to create communal divides among the people. The BJP's earlier attempts to pit Christian and Muslim communities against each other have already been exposed. When that failed, they came out with this new narrative,' the Congress leader alleged. Meanwhile, the Students Federation of India (SFI) held demonstrations across the State against the efforts to observe the 'Partition horror day.' The effigies of both the Governor and the Vice-Chancellor were burnt on the Kerala University campus. The BJP-backed Syndicate members condemned the incident.
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rahul tells Pune court he might face harm from followers of Savarkar and Godse
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has told a Pune court hearing a defamation case against him that he could face harm from the followers of the ideology of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Nathuram Godse, and providing "preventive protection" is the state's constitutional obligation. Mr. Gandhi, who is facing a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grand-nephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, claimed in an application before the special court for cases against MPs and MLAs in Pune. The case, the trial of which is yet to start, pertains to certain comments allegedly made by Mr. Gandhi against V.D. Savarkar, freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue. The application — filed before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde by Gandhi's lawyer Adv Milind Pawar — said that complainant Satyaki Savarkar had admitted that he is also a direct descendant, through maternal lineage, of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Mr. Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and recently held a press conference in New Delhi, placing before the nation evidence of electoral fraud by the Election Commission, the application said. He also staged a protest in the Parliament premises, raising slogans such as "vote chor sarkar." "Furthermore, during the parliamentary debate on the subject of Hindutva, there was a heated exchange between the Prime Minister and Shri Rahul Gandhi, a matter well known to the public. Against this backdrop, there is little doubt that the complainant, his great-grandfathers (the Godses), those connected with the ideology of Vinayak Savarkar, and some followers of Savarkar who are presently in power, may harbor hostility or resentment towards Gandhi," the application said. "In light of the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant's lineage, and considering the prevailing political climate, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting by persons subscribing to the ideology of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar," the application stated. Given the historical record of political violence linked to extremist factions and the complainant's political-ideological heritage, coupled with the present climate of heightened hostility, the apprehension is neither vague nor unfounded, it said, adding, "In such circumstances, preventive protection is not only prudent but is a constitutional obligation upon the state." Advocate Pawar said this 'Pursis' or application was submitted as a precautionary measure with the objective of 'legally safeguarding the fairness, integrity, and transparency of the present proceedings.' "It cannot be ruled out that certain persons inspired by the unconstitutional ideology and views of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and possessing the same dangerous mindset as Nathuram and Gopal Godse, may pose a threat to Gandhi's life," the lawyer said. The court has already granted bail to Mr. Gandhi in the case. Reacting to the plea, Mr. Satyaki Savarkar said it was frivolous and filed with the intention of delaying the trial. "The facts mentioned in the application by Mr. Gandhi have nothing to do with the present case," he told reporters. Mr. Satyaki Savarkar has filed a complaint against Mr. Gandhi, alleging that in a speech made in London in March 2023, the Congress leader claimed that V.D. Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. Mr. Satyaki Savarkar said no such incident ever took place, and that V.D. Savarkar never wrote any such thing anywhere.
