
VHP flays Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge over RSS remarks
In a statement, VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, "Priyank Kharge's arguments come from a deeply distorted mindset. This is not the first time he has made controversial comments about Sanatan Dharma. His public stature is negligible, he only blabbers."
Referring to Kharge's statement, made in Bihar, about banning the RSS if the Congress returns to power at the Centre, Bansal said, "They made such claims but couldn't follow through. The Congress party has tried to ban the RSS thrice — each time ending in embarrassment."
Citing historical instances, Bansal recalled, "The first attempt was after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. The court gave them such a tight slap that the mark is still visible. The second was during the Emergency, when the entire nation was held hostage. Indira Gandhi had to go to jail. The third was during the Ram Mandir movement, and again, the courts dismissed their actions."
Calling the Congress party shameless, Bansal said, "Despite being rejected by the people and reduced to just two or three states, the Congress continues to make such irresponsible statements. They're trying to salvage their sinking political fortunes by targeting nationalist organizations."
He further added, "If they want to understand the RSS, they should attend a shakha. But they have neither the stature nor the credibility to suppress the Sangh or hold India hostage again. They've already murdered democracy and tampered with the Constitution once — that mistake won't be repeated."
The strong response from the VHP came after Priyank Kharge today stated: 'If Congress comes to power in the Centre again, we will ban RSS.'
He argued that the RSS spreads hatred in society and does not operate within the bounds of the law.In a post on X, Priyank Kharge, the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, said: "RSS leaders have long pushed to erase the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from our Constitution. Now, BJP leaders have started parroting the same demand, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld their inclusion as integral to the Constitution's spirit."Before preaching constitutional edits, the RSS should take a long, hard look at the BJP's own party constitution. Article II of its preamble clearly states that the BJP is committed to the principles of socialism and secularism. Perhaps they should begin by amending that first."
UNI BDN RN

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
17 minutes ago
- News18
Modi Becomes First Indian PM To Visit Ghana In 30 Years, Gets Guard Of Honour And 21-Gun Salute
The Prime Minister was warmly greeted by members of the Indian diaspora in Accra upon his arrival at the hotel where he will be staying during his two-day visit to Ghana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Ghana, as part of his five-nation tour, where he received a warm welcome from President John Dramani Mahama. PM Modi, who became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the West African country in the last 30 years, received a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute on his arrival. Ghana plays strategic role as a key partner in the Global South and is an active member of both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). #WATCH | As PM Narendra Modi becomes the first Indian PM to visit Ghana after 30 years, President John Mahama of Ghana gives him a warm welcome at the airport. A Guard of Honour, along with a 21-gun salute, was presented to the PM.(Video: ANI/DD News) — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2025 The Prime Minister was warmly greeted by members of the Indian diaspora in Accra upon his arrival at the hotel where he will be staying during his two-day visit to Ghana. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from members of Indian diaspora in Accra, as he arrives at the hotel where he will stay during his two-day visit to Ghana.(Video: ANI/DD News) — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2025 At the hotel in Accra, PM Modi also witnessed a short cultural performance, where a group of young children chanted 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna" in his honour. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Ghana as a 'valued friend" of India in Africa and an important partner in the Global South. 'The talks with President John Dramani Mahama will provide an opportunity to boost India-Ghana friendship across various sectors. It is also an honour to be getting the opportunity to address the Parliament of Ghana tomorrow, 3rd July," said PM Modi. After his visit to Ghana, the Prime Minister will travel to Trinidad and Tobago from July 3 to 4, at the invitation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He will then head to Argentina from July 4 to 5 for bilateral talks with President Javier Milei. From July 5 to 8, PM Modi will be in Rio to attend the BRICS Summit. Concluding his multi-nation tour, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Namibia on July 9, following an invitation from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.


Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Sanjeev Arora to be inducted into Punjab Cabinet Thursday
Newly elected Ludhiana West MLA Sanjeev Arora will take oath as minister in Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's cabinet on Thursday, it is learnt. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Arora at 1 pm in a brief ceremony at the Raj Bhawan. AAP leader and industrialist, Arora, resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. He submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who accepted it. Arora, a first-time MP, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on April 10, 2022, and his tenure was to end on April 9, 2028. With his induction into the Cabinet, Mann will have 17 ministers, including himself. As per rules, Mann can have 18 ministers, including himself, but he is likely to keep a berth vacant. In the run-up to the by-election, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had announced that Arora would be made a minister after his victory. Sources said the party wanted to fill all Cabinet berths, but with the by-election necessitated in Taran Tarn after the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal last week, the party decided to fill only one seat and leave another vacant. 'A Cabinet berth has been kept vacant so that the party can promise the electorates of Tarn Taran that if they elect the AAP candidate, their representative will be inducted into the Cabinet,' a party leader said. Arora was sworn in as the Ludhiana West MLA on last Friday, but his induction is taking place a week later as the Governor was away in Udaipur for a couple of days. Kataria returned to Chandigarh on Wednesday. Arora secured a decisive victory in the recently concluded by-election, defeating Congress's heavyweight Bharat Bhushan Ashu by 10,637 votes, helping the AAP to tighten its grip over the urban Ludhiana West Assembly constituency, where a bypoll was necessitated after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Gogi. Arora secured 35,179 votes, increasing AAP's vote share to 39.02%, an upswing of more than 4% over the party's 2022 performance. Before entering politics, Arora was a well-known businessman and philanthropist. He heads Ritesh Industries Ltd, a textile export firm, and Hampton Sky Realty Ltd. He also founded Femella Fashions, a women's apparel brand, and Teneron Ltd, a manufacturing unit supplying non-ferrous alloys to firms like Suzuki. In 2005, he established the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust in memory of his parents, both of whom succumbed to cancer. The trust has since supported hundreds of patients. Arora also contributed extensively to Covid-19 relief efforts and medical institutions like Dayanand Medical College. Sources said owing to his interest in the field of healthcare, he may be handed the Department of Health, a portfolio held by Dr Balbir Singh.


Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
No hesitation in wiping out terrorists, wherever they are: Rajnath Sigh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asserted that the Narendra Modi government will not hesitate to eliminate terrorists, wherever they are, and that no distinction will be made between masterminds and the regimes which sponsor them. The former BJP president's stern message to Pakistan , without mentioning the neighbouring country by name, came in his address to the party's state executive meeting in Bihar, where assembly elections are due this year. Singh said that under Modi, the country's policy on security has turned a new leaf with steps like surgical strikes and Balakot airstrikes . Referring to the military operation that followed the Pahalgam terror attack, he said, "Operation Sindoor marked the first time when we struck at terror hideouts 100 km beyond our borders. Of course, we hit only those who had hit us, a reason why no civilians nor any military installations were targeted". "Under Modi, our policy has been not to hesitate in eliminating terrorists wherever they are. And we shall do so without making a distinction between masterminds of terror attacks and regimes which sponsor them," said the defence minister. Live Events He added that the country's defence exports have seen a sharp rise, thanks to Modi's thrust on "swadeshikaran" (production at home) and " Aatma Nirbhar Bharat ". "The Modi government works with a long-term road-map, in marked contrast with Congress-led governments of the past, which lacked direction and were driven by vote bank concerns," said the Union minister. Singh also made an oblique reference to the controversy over RSS second in command Dattatreya Hosabale's remark that the words "secular" and "socialist" be dropped from the preamble of the Constitution, as those were inserted during the infamous Emergency. "I would like to ask fake secularists, after the word secular was added to the country's Constitution, why was it not added to the separate Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir? Should the state, where minority Hindus were being oppressed, not have been secular? Jammu and Kashmir became secular only after Article 370 was abrogated," he said. The BJP leader claimed that the party is the only political organisation in the entire world to have raised a voice against atrocities against minorities in neighbouring countries and taken a concrete step, in the form of CAA , upon coming to power. He said, "India has always believed in treating all faiths with respect. Parsis were accepted with open arms. We have one of the world's oldest churches in Kerala. Ours is the only land where all 72 sects of Islam are recognised." In contrast, even Ahmadiya Muslims are facing persecution in Pakistan, and one should not speak about minorities, Singh said. "The situation is horrifying in Bangladesh as well. The treatment meted out to Hindus there is a blot on humanity," said the defence minister.