NCP (SP) to join protest march for Marathi; Congress says always upheld cause
Opposition Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Friday extended support to the protest march called on July 5 by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray against imposition of Hindi from Class 1 to 5. The Congress, though has not announced support, clarified that it will do anything to uphold the dignity of Marathi language.
NCP (SP) state chief Jayant Patil issued a statement announcing support to the protest march. 'When it comes to looking after the interests of the state and when it comes to looking after the interests of the nation, the NCP (SP) has always stood side-by-side irrespective of political differences,' said Patil, appealing to all the party workers and leaders to join the march.
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said the party has always advocated joining hands against the imposition of Hindi to destroy Marathi language and its culture. 'We do not see this issue limited to a call given by a political party or a particular leader. It is a larger issue of stopping the cultural invasion started by the RSS in Maharashtra,' said Sapkal, adding that his party was the first to give a call to launch a protest against the imposition of Hindi.
MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar called Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar extending invitation to join the protest on July 5. Wadettiwar said his party has always upheld and supported Marathi culture and pride. 'The party will soon announce its decision on joining the protest,' he said.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Row over sound system disrupts Rath Yatra
1 2 Kanpur: Following a dispute between police and organisers regarding the use of sound system, the historic and religious Rath Yatra could not commence on Friday. The Panki Mahant announced that he would self-immolate if the sub-inspector of Naya Ganj police outpost was not suspended. On his appeal, the traders of Nayaganj and nearby markets closed their shops. Followers and political party volunteers sat on dharna at Nayaganj crossing in support of Mahant. According to Mahant Jitendra Das and Krishna Das of Jagannath temple, before the Rath Yatra could begin, police officials arrived and instructed that only two speakers should be used in the band. Organisers opposed this and during the conversation, police misbehaved with them. Kanpur Police commissionerate on Thursday had implemented the provisions of section 163 BNS . The provision states that the directions of Allahabad and Lucknow high court regarding the use of loud speaker should be followed in letter and spirit. Using more than 2 loud speakers with in the limits of police commissioneate will have to obtain prior permission . Meanwhile, supporters and volunteers gathered and raised anti-police slogans. When senior police officials tried to pacify them, the demand for the inspector's suspension was reiterated. In the meantime, SP MLA Amitabh Bajpai also arrived with his supporters and joined the agitators. The agitating crowd recited 'Hanuman Chalisa' and Panki Mahant appealed to traders to close the market. General secretary of the temple committee, Vivek Gupta alleged that Badshahi Naqa inspector had thrashed the sound system operator with a lathi and abused both him and Panki Mahant. Senior police officials also arrived at the spot and tried to convince Panki Mahant and others, but Mahant and his followers were adamant and clearly stated that if Badshahi Naqa sub-inspector was not suspended, Mahant would self-immolate at Naya Ganj crossing. Later, the station in-charge of Badshahi Naka was suspended. Deputy Commissioner of Police East, Satyajit Gupta, announced the resumption of the Shobha Yatra. "We immediately suspended the in-charge of Badshahi Naka police station. He was accused of misbehaving and using abusive language with the organisers of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra."
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Assault on Constitution's soul: Opposition slams RSS' view on Preamble
RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale Several opposition parties on Friday denounced RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble, terming it a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution. The attack came a day after the RSS proposed reviewing the two words, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar. While the Congress saw it as a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution and claimed the RSS-BJP had never accepted Ambedkar's Constitution, the CPI(M) said the demand exposes the RSS' long-standing objective of subverting leader Rahul Gandhi said the mask of the RSS has come off again as they want 'Manusmriti'. "The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice," he said in a post in Hindi on X."The RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want 'Manusmriti'. They aim to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda," he alleged. "The RSS should stop dreaming... we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath," the former Congress chief leader and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Hosabale's call is a "brazen attempt to dismantle the core ideals of our Republic"."Invoking the Emergency to discredit these principles is a deceitful move, especially when the RSS colluded with the Indira Gandhi government during that time for its own survival. To use that period now to undermine the Constitution reflects sheer hypocrisy and political opportunism."Secularism and socialism are not additions; they define India. Every citizen who believes in democracy must raise their voice against this communal agenda," Vijayan said on Left parties and RJD alleged that Hosabale's proposal was part of a conspiracy to change the general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the BJP/RSS attacked Ambedkar, Nehru, and others involved in the framing of the Constitution from November 30, 1949, onwards. "In the RSS' own words, the Constitution was not inspired by Manusmriti," he said in a post on X."The RSS and the BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution. This was Mr (Narendra) Modi's campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The people of India decisively rejected this cry. Yet the demands for changing the basic structure of the Constitution continue to be made by the RSS ecosystem," Ramesh said. Sharing the Supreme Court's November 25, 2024, judgment on the issue, he said, "Would it be asking too much to request him to take the trouble to read it?" In a post on X from its official handle, the Congress alleged the RSS-BJP's ideology stands in direct opposition to the Indian Constitution."RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has openly called for the removal of the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble. This is not just a suggestion -- it is a deliberate assault on the soul of our Constitution," it said."It is part of a long-standing conspiracy to dismantle Babasaheb Ambedkar's vision for a just, inclusive and democratic India -- something the RSS-BJP has always been plotting. Let us not forget: when the Constitution was adopted, the RSS rejected it. They didn't just oppose it, they burnt it." The Congress said the people saw through their agenda and gave them a resounding answer."Now, they have returned to their old playbook. But let it be known: The Congress will stand as an unbreakable wall against any attempt to undermine the Constitution. Jai Samvidhan," it General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal mounted a scathing attack on the RSS and the BJP, saying, "The RSS' single-minded focus to destroy the Constitution is never hidden for too long. Beyond the BJP's lip service to the Constitution, their hidden agenda has always been to distort and destroy our Constitution -- because it stands against the core fascist beliefs of the RSS-BJP." "A senior RSS member surely knows that the Supreme Court declared socialism and secularism to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Yet, to take this stand is a clear insult to the Constitution, a rejection of its values, and a direct attack on the Supreme Court of India as well," he said on X. The MP from Kerala's Alappuzha added that the people of India were very much aware of the "devious means deployed by the RSS to spread poison and divide this country". "We will never let them succeed in this mission, and will defend the Constitution to the hilt," he stressed. Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari said, "Once again, the truth slipped out. The hidden agenda of the BJP and RSS is now out in the open. They want to remove the core values of secularism and socialism from the Constitution." The BJP hit back at the Congress, accusing it of being behind all the violations of India's Constitution since Independence and asked the party to apologise for its Emergency-era atrocities on people instead of resorting to issue before the country is the violation of people's fundamental rights by the Congress government during the Emergency, said BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu other opposition parties, RJD president Lalu Prasad, who claimed that social justice and communal harmony are his guiding principles, voiced his anguish on X by terming the RSS a "casteist" RJD supremo also said, "They do not have the guts to cast an evil eye on the Constitution and reservations provided therein. Why are people with an unjust character so full of hatred for democracy and Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution?" Party MP Manoj Kumar Jha said, "Perhaps he (Hosabale) hasn't read it; I would advise him to seriously read the Constituent Assembly debates. Socialism and secularism were integral parts of our Constitution." In a statement, the CPI(M) Politburo said the inclusion of 'socialism' and 'secularism' in the Preamble is not an arbitrary addition and reflects the core values for which freedom fighters sacrificed their lives. "The Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly denounces the proposal made by the RSS general secretary to remove the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. This proposal exposes the RSS's long-standing objective of subverting the Constitution and its intent to transform India into a Hindu Rashtra, in pursuit of its Hindutva project." "It is the height of hypocrisy for the RSS, which played no role in the freedom movement, to now advocate for the removal of these foundational principles. That it cannot tolerate the values cherished by our martyrs betrays its reactionary, anti-people, and divisive ideology," the Left party "firmly" opposed "any attempt to alter the core values enshrined in our Constitution. We appeal to the people to remain vigilant and resolutely resist all such efforts by the RSS and its protege BJP." CPI General Secretary D Raja said everyone knows what RSS wants. "Everyone knows it is opposed to constitution/why they spoke of '400-paar' and that is why defending constitution became the central issue for opposition parties." Hosabale, while addressing an event on the Emergency, said on Thursday that "the preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words." "During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, and judiciary became lame, then these words were added." The RSS leader said discussions were held on this issue later but no effort was made to remove them from the Preamble. "So whether they should remain in the Preamble should be considered," he had added. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, however, sought to defend Hosabale's call, saying any right-thinking citizen would endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Ambedkar. PTI
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Pawar Sr supports march but ‘against forcing Tendulkar'
Kolhapur: While the NCP (SP) has declared support to the July 5 protest march against the "imposition of Hindi," the party's chief on Friday said celebrities such as cricketer should not be insisted upon to express their views on making Hindi a must in the Maharashtra school curriculum. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Ask Sachin about cricket; don't force him to take a stand on Hindi imposition," he said. Pawar was responding to Raj Thackeray's statement on Thursday that he wanted to see who — especially Marathi artists and sportspersons — turn up and who do not for the protest march against the govt's policy. "I don't know what Raj Thackeray meant by that. Why should one insist that Sachin Tendulkar puts his views across (on the issue of Hindi impoistion)? Ask him about cricket; he is 'badshah', a big name in the world of cricket. I can understand if he is asked to share his views about some aspect of cricket. Don't ask such personalities about issues not related to them. The issue of imposition of Hindi is important for us. Someone seeking their views and saying 'will see who comes for the protest and who does not' is not good," Pawar said. On the march, NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil said, "We are against imposition of Hindi on primary school students. We have decided to participate in the protest march."
