Latest news with #pro-Hindutva
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Only 68 words on Shivaji Maharaj in CBSE books, claim Maha MLCs
Nagpur: Maharashtra legislative council members from across partylines on Friday raised concerns over the representation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in CBSE schools' textbooks. They claimed that just 68 words about the Maratha king feature across 2,200 pages of history taught from Classes 1 to 10. The state govt responded, saying the issue has been formally raised with the Union govt and would be resolved. Raising the matter, MLC Satyajeet Tambe said it was "highly condemnable" that Shivaji Maharaj's legacy found such inadequate mention in the NCERT syllabus, which is used by all CBSE-affiliated schools. "We are promoting the NCERT curriculum across Maharashtra, yet across 2,200 pages, only 68 words are about Shivaji Maharaj. This is unacceptable," said Tambe. He added that Shivaji Maharaj's contributions should be taught not just in Maharashtra but across the country. Minister of state for school education Pankaj Bhoyar said the government was serious about the issue and had already flagged the matter to the Union education ministry. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "Our school education minister Dada Bhuse met the Union education minister to discuss this. History books could have been updated earlier too. Our govt has ensured Unesco recognition for 12 forts of Shivaji Maharaj, so we are serious about preserving his legacy," Bhoyar said. MLC Amit Gorkhe demanded a timeline for resolving the issue and sought greater inclusion of Shivaji Maharaj's history in textbooks. MLC Bhavana Gawali also criticised the limited mention of Shivaji Maharaj in history books, saying the state should have pursued the matter more aggressively in Delhi. "We have a pro-Hindutva govt at the Centre; this should have been resolved already," she said. Bhoyar assured the House that Maharashtra's own curriculum being developed on CBSE lines would include maximum focus on the state's historical and geographical aspects. "Since Bhavana Gawaliji has spent five terms as MP in Delhi, I will take her guidance in resolving this issue quickly," Bhoyar said.
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BJP to bank on Hindutva to target Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS
Mumbai: Pushed on the backfoot due to the 'Hindi imposition' row, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to corner cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray's parties by evoking the Hindutva agenda following the recent controversy over Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers assaulting a sweets shop owner at Mira Road for not speaking in Marathi. Mumbai, India - July 3, 2025:CM Devendra Fadnavis, during monsoon assembly session at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) Ahead of the upcoming local body polls across Maharashtra, the BJP has decided to strike a fine balance between protecting Marathi asmita (pride)—a key political plank of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS—and Hindutva, by highlighting its contribution to promoting the Marathi language and safeguarding the interests of Hindi-speaking Hindus from other communities in the state. The BJP had decided to counter the Opposition's Marathi-Hindi language politics during its core committee meeting last week. In the wake of the June 29 assault of a businessman at Mira Road by MNS workers for not speaking in Marathi, the BJP decided to use the incident to propel its pro-Hindutva stand. On Thursday, BJP minister Nitesh Rane led the charge, terming the incident an attack on a Hindu. 'We will not tolerate our Hindu brother being attacked in the state,' he said. No stranger to controversial and provocative statements, Rane added, 'If these attackers have the guts, they should go to Mohammed Ali Road and Null Bazaar and force the cap-donning hawkers with beards to speak Marathi. Our pro-Hindutva government will not tolerate it, and strict action will be taken against the attackers.' Mohammed Ali Road and Null Bazaar are predominantly Muslim areas in Mumbai. According to MNS leaders, the BJP made businessmen in Mira Road take to the streets to protest the assault. This is believed to be part of the BJP's strategy. BJP insiders said the party's decision to take a stronger stand on the Mira Road incident was triggered in the backdrop of the Mahayuti government scrapping its recent order to introduce Hindi as the third language in primary schools. The BJP-led government had believably rolled back its decision after sensing anger among the Marathi-speaking population. The estranged Thackeray cousins had also announced a grand joint protest march in Mumbai on July 5 to oppose the move. 'We firmly believe that our Hindutva stand on such issues and the introduction of Hindi in school will help us largely in consolidating the non-Marathi voters under the agenda of Hindutva,' said a BJP leader. 'At the same time, we are not opposing Marathi or the Marathi manoos (people), as even that section is appealed to under the larger agenda of Hinduism. Our stand will not damage [our prospects in] the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) or even the rest of Maharashtra, but will damage the Thackerays for the attack on Hindu businessmen.' The BJP believes this strategy will help it consolidate voters in Hindi- and Gujarati-speaking communities, which dominate some of the nine municipal corporations in MMR, the leader said. As for Mumbai, while the Marathi-speaking population is around 29%, non-Marathi-speaking people dominate the city, the leader added. 'At the same time, not all Marathi-speaking voters will side with the Thackerays even if they decide to come together in the corporation elections. Secondly, it would be difficult for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to join hands with Raj if these attacks continue, as Uddhav has been getting the support of Muslims of late. Muslims and north Indians may not support Uddhav Thackeray's party if the hobnobbing between the two brothers continues, as they hate Raj Thackeray for his stand taken against them over the years,' the leader said. A senior BJP leader and member of the core committee said that the party would undertake a drive to reach out to Marathi voters and talk about its contribution to the conservation of the language. 'We will tell people that Marathi got the status of a classical language because of the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Modi government introduced regional languages in civil service and banking exams. And as such, there was no question of secondary treatment of the language in Maharashtra. The party will showcase how the Uddhav Thackeray-led party pushed the Marathi manoos out of Mumbai. We firmly believe that the strategy would help us even if the two Thackerays come together and, in fact, damage them more,' the leader added.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
BJP not against Muslims, wants no riots in state: New BJP chief
In a clear departure from his predecessors' pro-Hindutva stand, newly appointed West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Thursday said that his party is not against Muslims and that it envisages a West Bengal where Muharram and Durga puja 'visarjan' processions can be held side by side without 'danga' or communal riots. In his first speech after being elected to the post, the Rajya Sabha MP also outlined the BJP's upward trajectory in West Bengal in the past decade and hit out at the TMC government in the state for allegedly failing to give jobs to youths, and security to women. 'BJP's fight is not against Muslims. Those who hold stones in their hands, the BJP wants to replace the stones with books. We want a Bengal where Muharram and Durga Puja visarjan (immersion) processions can go side by side without any riots taking place,' Bhattacharya said at an event where he was officially anointed the new state BJP chief. His predecessor Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari were present. Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was in charge of the election process, also attended the event held at Kolkata's Science City. Narrating the BJP's growth, Bhattacharya said: 'From two MLAs to now 303, people of Bengal have given us a special place. People of Bengal have understood that it is the BJP that can defeat the TMC.' Hitting out at the TMC government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the new state BJP chief said: 'People of Bengal want their family, who are migrant labourers, to return home. Over 17,000 people have lost their jobs under this government. They are on the streets. Once the BJP comes to power, no migrant labour will have to leave the state,' he said. Bhattacharya promised to 'give justice' to people hit by the post-poll violence in 2021. 'No one will be spared. They will be brought to justice even from patal lok (underworld) once the BJP comes to power in the state,' he said. Claiming that people of Bengal want 'mukti' (liberation) from the TMC government, he said, '2026 Assembly poll is not just an election, but a fight for Bengal.' Addressing the factionalism in the state unit of his party — his main challenge before the Assembly elections next year, Bhattacharya stressed on unity, urging the old generation to trust the new and the new to remember the contributions of those who built the party. 'The old must make space for the entry of new, and the new generation must understand the struggle they endured when the BJP had no foothold in Bengal… This fight can in no way be one-sided anymore. Fight the war. The 2026 election is about TMC's visarjan (immersion),' he said. His predecessor and Union minister, Sukanta Majumdar, who held the post for the last four years, said: 'This is a continuous relay race… Rahul Sinha, then Dilip Ghosh, then me, and now Samik Bhattacharya. I feel honoured today. Sukanta Majumdar is and will always be there with you all. With Samik Bhattacharya, we will fight this battle together.' 'We will continue to fight to uproot Mamata Banerjee's government… Be ready to retaliate and fight back in 2026, unlike 2021 when the BJP was attacked. Don't get hit this time,' he cautioned. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, however, made an aggressive pitch on consolidating Hindu votes and launched a broadside against the TMC government. Thanking all previous state BJP chiefs, except his bête noire Dilip Ghosh, Adhikari said: 'I am rendering both hands to strengthen the party… To form the government, we just need 4 to 5 per cent vote from now on. Develop relata ionship with voters, go door to door, meet them, and have control at the booth level. This minority appeaser, corrupt government should be uprooted. No woman is safe. Kanya bachao, Mamata Bhagao (Save girls, oust Mamata)… Hindu bachao, Mamata bhagao (Save Hindus, oust Mamata). Hindu jaago… badla amay nite hobe (wake up Hindus… we have to avenge).' Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad praised Bhattacharya, calling him a 'great communicator. 'Under his leadership, the 2026 Assembly election will be fought. It might be surprising for other political parties, but the BJP is not a family party. BJP as a party is a family… We want a BJP government in Bengal so that people can live safely. Bengal has become worse under the TMC and Mamata Banerjee,' he added. Bhattacharya, 61, has over four decades of political experience. He started his career in 1971 with the RSS in Howrah and subsequently moved to the BJP. He steadily rose through the ranks and gradually emerged as one of the party's most popular faces in the state in the 1990s because of his strong oratory skills. Bhattacharya also served as the general secretary of the Bengal BJP for three terms. In 2014, he won the Basirhat Dakshin Assembly bypoll and was a legislator for just over a year. Last year, he was sent to the Upper House. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
The Print
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Hours after son Priyank threatens ban, RSS shares visuals of Mallikarjun Kharge at 2002 Sangh event
The 37-second clip is of poor quality, but a figure resembling Kharge can be seen. An individual speaking on the microphone can be heard referring to the Congress leader as 'Sangh admirer'. A picture of the event shows Kharge, then Karnataka cabinet minister Roshan Baig, and former Bengaluru city police commissioner H.T. Sangliana purportedly attending the event. 'Many prominent figures, including Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge, listed the peace conference of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) held in Nagwara, Bengaluru on 25, 26, 27 January 2002,' read a message accompanying the video clip shared by RSS with media persons Tuesday. Bengaluru: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Tuesday shared a video of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge attending an event held by the outfit back in 2002, within hours of Karnataka minister and Kharge's son, Priyank Kharge, threatening to ban it if Congress is voted to power at Centre again. Kharge was the home minister in S.M. Krishna's cabinet at the time. ThePrint attempted to reach him for a comment via phone calls, but he did not respond. On Tuesday, Priyank, a vocal critic of the Sangh, alleged that RSS was trying to alter the Constitution, and said that the Congress had banned the organisation in the past as well, adding that lifting the ban was 'our (Congress's) mistake'. He said that the RSS fell at our feet, saying that it would not indulge in anti-national activities. Asked if the Congress will ban the pro-Hindutva organisation, he said, 'We will see. It won't be the first time they will be banned, right?' Priyank's latest attack comes after RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's sought a review of the inclusion of the 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, which was done during the Emergency. '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…' Priyank had posted on X, adding that the RSS should take 'a long, hard look at the BJP's own party constitution'. 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… — Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) July 1, 2025 '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,' he wrote. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Karnataka Congress in troubleshoot mode as state in-charge meets disgruntled MLAs
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Madhya Pradesh cop seen on video ‘ordering gym not to allow Muslims', sent to police lines
A sub-inspector with the Madhya Pradesh Police has been removed from active duty and attached to police lines after a video surfaced showing him instructing a gym owner to prohibit people from the Muslim community from entering the premises. According to police sources, a group of people had raised objection to the presence of Muslim trainers at the gym in Bhopal's Ayodhya Nagar locality. Police personnel, including SI Dinesh Sharma, were subsequently called to the spot to manage the situation. In the video, Sharma is purportedly heard saying that Muslims should not 'come here to give or take training'. The video sparked outrage, prompting an internal inquiry into Sharma's conduct. He was subsequently removed from field duty and sent to the police lines pending further investigation. A senior police officer said Sharma had been deployed to maintain order after members of a right-wing group arrived at the gym. 'The SI had reached the spot because the members of the pro-Hindutva organisations turned up, and his presence was necessary to maintain law and order. We are investigating the allegations. Right now, he has been sent to police lines.' Following the incident, BJP MP from Bhopal, Alok Sharma, told the media on Sunday that a 'list of gym instructors' in the city had been compiled, and insisted that women clients should be trained only by women instructors. 'The list of gym trainers will be handed over to the police, who will act according to the law,' he said. Congress MLA Arif Masood criticised the move, questioning the rationale behind targeting gym professionals based on religion. 'Is running a gym now a crime? If it's being run following rules, then what is the problem?' he asked. Right-wing groups' opposition to Muslim trainers has not been confined to Bhopal. Similar actions have been reported in Indore as well. The campaign gathered momentum following the arrest of Mohsin Khan, a shooting coach accused of operating an unlicensed academy and allegedly involved in cases of rape and molestation.
