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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Cracks in Telangana BJP as Raja Singh quits over Ramchander Rao elevation to party chief
After a stormy election process, the BJP is set to name a new Telangana party chief. Though N Ramchander Rao was the only one to file a nomination for the president's post, firebrand BJP MLA T Raja Singh caused a stir when he attempted to file his nomination at the eleventh hour but was unable to garner enough support for his candidacy. A veteran party leader, the 66-year-old Rao has been associated with the BJP for over four decades, including as an MLC from 2015 to 2021. Several BJP leaders told The Indian Express that Rao, as a Brahmin leader, can be a 'unifying factor' for the party that has seen several groups emerging from within. Rao started his political career in the RSS-affiliated student outfit ABVP in 1977. He was a state executive member of the ABVP for five years. During the last few years of his tenure with the ABVP, Rao also worked with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the BJP's youth wing, from 1980 to 1982. A leader who completed his Master's degree from Hyderabad's Osmania University, Rao later obtained a legal degree from the same institute. After this, he served in the legal cell of the BJP for close to a decade. He worked as the general secretary of BJP in undivided Andhra Pradesh from 2009 to 2012. He was the state BJP spokesperson for several years, even after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into two states in 2014. 'He was known chiefly for his interaction with the public and his keen sense of commitment towards the party,' a BJP leader said. Rao also served as a lawyer in metropolitan courts in Hyderabad and High Court of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 'He has been practicing in the Supreme Court in recent times and is a time-tested lawyer,' a BJP source said. Rao's candidature, however, came as a surprise because former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and Lok Sabha MP Eatela Rajender, who had joined the BJP in 2021, was till Sunday considered to be the front-runner for the post. There were other aspirants in the mix, including Union minister and former state party chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Aravind. 'Rao's selection will, to a great extent, quell the dissatisfaction within the party,' a BJP leader said. Rao himself told the press on Monday that he does not think factionalism is a factor within the BJP. 'There are people who might have differences but all of them are collectively supporting the ideological base of the BJP,' he said. However, at around 4.30pm on Monday, half-an-hour after the deadline for nominations, controversial BJP MLA T Raja Singh appeared before the media with his nomination papers. 'As my nomination, which did not get the support of (at least 10) councillors who were threatened with dire consequences, did not get accepted, I have decided to quit the party,' he said. He said that he had taken several personal risks for the party. 'My family and myself are under the scrutiny of terrorists. I have taken that kind of risk for the party. But the BJP has leaders who do not want the party to come to power in Telangana,' Singh said. In his resignation letter which was submitted to outgoing BJP state president and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Singh wrote that Rao's impending appointment came as a 'shock and disappointment'. He also wrote that his resignation reflects the 'pain and frustration of lakhs of BJP karyakartas and supporters who feel sidelined and unheard'. He added that he considers himself to be still attached to Hindutva ideology and he will continue to serve the people of his Goshamahal constituency. The BJP's only Hyderabad MLA, Singh is no stranger to controversy. Known among the supporters in his constituency Goshamahal as 'Tiger Raja' and 'Hindu Hriday Samrat', the 48-year-old MLA has frequently faced action over his alleged hate speeches. In 2022, he had been suspended from the BJP over his alleged remarks against Prophet Mohammed. He was, however, reinstated a year later ahead of the 2023 Telangana Assembly polls, in which he won the Goshamahal seat for a third consecutive time.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Empirical Evidence From Caste Census May Reframe Conversion Conversation, Delisting Debate
Last Updated: The delisting of tribal converts from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories has long been a core demand of the RSS-affiliated Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti (VKS) With the timeline and other administrative details for the caste census now firming up, fresh empirical data on the tribal population is expected to add a new dimension to the ongoing debate around the religious conversion of tribals and the demand for delisting the converts. The delisting of tribal converts from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories has long been a core demand of the Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti (VKS), an RSS-affiliated organisation that works among tribal communities across India. The VKS has been working among the communities across all tribal-dominated states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and parts of Odisha. The RSS has also formed an organisation, Janjati Suraksha Manch, to protect the tribals from conversion and to spearhead the delisting movement. The issue regarding delisting gained renewed attention during the recent Karyakarta Vikas Varg in Nagpur, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also said that the Sangh has been consistently working on this matter related to 'illegal" religious conversion of the tribal population. Delisting of 'converts' Significantly, the growing push for data-backed policies around Scheduled Tribe benefits has now been intersecting with longstanding ideological concerns, potentially setting the stage for a sharper national conversation. Senior functionaries of Vanvasi Kalyan Samity said that the movement for 'delisting" of the converted tribal population has been continuing for a long time and that the VKS also convinces the converts to return to their religion, which is Sanatan (Hinduism). 'They (tribals) are generally lured to a different religion through several means. Most of the time, the conversion is illegal as they do not inform the authorities, which is legally mandatory. Many of the tribal brothers and sisters return to the Sanatan, realising their mistakes, while some choose not to. We want them to follow the legalities," said a senior functionary. Historical and ideological standpoint of the RSS Religious conversion of the tribal population has long been a serious concern for the RSS, seen not merely as a spiritual or religious shift but as a civilisational, cultural, and demographic disruption in the country. Over decades, the Sangh has articulated, through several pieces of literature and other official documents, a consistent and assertive stance against what it terms 'organised, deceitful, and foreign-funded conversion activities", particularly targeting the vulnerable communities in tribal and SC belts. The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM) of the RSS has passed multiple resolutions talking about this 'threat"—from as early as 1980, warning of missionary-led separatism in Eastern Uttaranchal (northern), to 2015's resolution highlighting a widening population growth rate imbalance. These are not sporadic outcries but part of a calculated and calibrated ideological framework. The 2004 and 2007 resolutions eventually note the demographic shifts and their long-term implications on national integration, with the 1999 resolution directly accusing the Church of global conspiracies aimed at 'cultural colonisation". 'Aggression' against Indian culture Sarsanghchalaks, from MS Golwalkar, known as Guruji, to Mohan Bhagwat, have time and again reiterated that conversion, especially through several allurements or coercion, is a form of 'aggression" against Bharatiya Sanskriti (Indian culture). Bhagwat, in his recent speeches at public programmes, has emphasised that 'conversion breaks families, alienates communities, and undermines socio-cultural harmony". According to RSS documents, ground-level realities support these assertions as they say that states like Odisha (Kandhamal), Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and the Northeast have witnessed sociopolitical fractures attributed to aggressive proselytisation. NFHS data and census trends show the religious demographic shifts in pockets, prompting legal responses. Several states—including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh—have enacted certain forms of anti-conversion laws, aiming to curb forced, illegal, or fraudulent conversions.
Hans India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Allahabad HC grants interim anticipatory bail to Lucknow University prof booked over post on Pahalgam attack
The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted interim anticipatory bail to Dr Madri Kakoti, an Assistant Professor in the Linguistics Department of Lucknow University, who was booked by the Uttar Pradesh Police for her social media post reportedly concerning the deadly terror Pahalgam attack. KaKoti approached the Allahabad High Court after a court in Lucknow rejected her anticipatory bail plea in connection with the FIR registered against her under Sections 197(1), 353 (2), 196(1) (a) 352, 302, 152 of the Bhartiya Nyay Samhita (B.N.S) and Section 69A of the I.T. Act. She apprehended her arrest for the reason that an offence invoked in the FIR by the police is cognizable and is punishable up to life imprisonment, and the police are making every endeavour to arrest the applicant in the instant case. In her anticipatory bail plea, Kakoti contended that although the offence was registered on the basis of an alleged online post, the same has not even been mentioned or reproduced in the FIR, adding that the omission raised "serious questions about the legality and fairness of the registration of the FIR". "The FIR fails to mention even a single actual quote or post, despite the allegation resting entirely on the applicant's digital expressions," said Kakoti's plea. In her tweet, Kakoti allegedly said: "Shooting someone after asking about their religion is terrorism. Lynching someone after asking about their religion, firing them from their job after asking about their religion, not giving them a house after asking about their religion, bulldozing a house after asking about their religion, etc. is also terrorism. Recognize the real terrorist." The complainant, an office bearer of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), alleged that the varsity professor, through her social media account (@ms_medusssa), made anti-national and communally inflammatory remarks following the terrorist incident in J&K's Pahalgam.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Wickedness of the evil forces': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for Hindus to unify to make Bharat mighty
NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat reiterated the need to unify Hindu society and build Bharat into a formidable military and economic power, capable of withstanding the "wickedness of the evil forces" along all its borders. In an interview with the RSS-affiliated weekly magazine Organiser, Bhagwat said, 'There are evil forces in the world that are aggressive by nature.' 'We have no option but to be powerful, as we have been witnessing the wickedness of the evil forces on all our borders,' he added. He further stressed: 'True strength is internal. We should be able to defend ourselves. No one should be able to conquer us—not even if multiple powers come together.' The magazine noted that this conversation took place before Operation Sindoor at the Organiser-Panchjanya office, ahead of the RSS's Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha scheduled for March 21–23. Bhagwat reiterated, 'A virtuous person is not safe just because of his virtues. Hence, virtues should be combined with strength. Mere brute power can be directionless, leading to blatant violence. Therefore, power should be combined with righteousness.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Đăng ký Undo When asked about global human rights defenders' concern for Hindus facing oppression in neighbouring countries, Bhagwat suggested that support would only come when Hindus demonstrate strength. 'As Hindu society and Bharat are intertwined, the glory of Hindu society will bring glory to Bharat. Such a strong Hindu society can present a model for including the people of Bharat who no longer consider themselves Hindus—as they, too, were once Hindus.' 'If Hindu society in Bharat becomes strong, then automatically Hindus will gain strength globally,' he asserted. Bhagwat acknowledged that efforts to strengthen Hindu society are underway, noting that progress is 'slow but steady.' 'Slowly but surely, the situation is evolving,' he said, adding, 'This time, the way anguish over atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh has been expressed is unprecedented. Even local Hindus (in Bangladesh) now say — 'We won't flee. We'll stay and fight for our rights.''
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ABVP protests Rahul Gandhi's surprise visit to DUSU, likens it to 'rejected actor crashing a student play'
An unscheduled visit by Congress leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi to the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) office on Thursday sparked protests and political friction on campus, with the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) describing the event as a theatrical stunt and accusing Gandhi of undermining elected student representatives. According to Delhi University proctor Rajni Abbi, Gandhi arrived at the DUSU office without informing university authorities and stayed for nearly an hour. 'Today, Rahul Gandhi came to University of Delhi without any information to the authorities. He stayed in the DUSU office for almost one hour,' Abbi said in a statement, noting that security cordoned off the area during his visit. 'Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time.' Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Manufacturing Excellence with OMEA Award by ansoim & Manufacturing Today ansoim Learn More Undo She added that DUSU Secretary Mitravinda Karanwal, affiliated with the ABVP, was prevented from entering her own office by National Students' Union of India (NSUI) members, who were reportedly accompanying Gandhi. The proctor warned of strict action against those responsible. 'Rejected actor crashing a student play' Karanwal echoed these concerns, saying, 'I was blocked from entering my office due to VVIP protocol.' She accused Gandhi of bypassing student representatives and using the campus for political optics. Live Events 'It was a staged photo-op,' she said, accusing the Congress leader of treating the student union office like 'a rejected actor crashing a student play.' The ABVP, which holds multiple posts in the DUSU, also issued a sharp rebuke of Gandhi's visit, calling it an attempt to hijack student platforms for political gain. The organisation criticised what it called 'VIP-style interference' and questioned the Congress party's sincerity towards youth participation and democratic engagement. 'University's reaction politically motivated' DUSU President Ronak Khatri, a member of NSUI—the Congress' student wing—defended the visit, arguing that as the elected president, he does not require university approval to host guests in the union office. 'The university's reaction is politically motivated. This is an attempt to interfere with student autonomy,' Khatri said. The controversy echoes a similar incident earlier this year in Bihar's Darbhanga, where Gandhi's interaction with college students without prior administrative clearance led to two FIRs being filed. Thursday's incident has further deepened the divide between student organisations ahead of the upcoming academic season, with both sides accusing each other of politicising campus spaces for partisan agendas.
