by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Kolkata : BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday said the country’s partition could have been avoided had Congress not made the mistake of “censoring” national song “Vande Mataram” as part of its appeasement policy.
“Had the Congress not made the mistake of censoring the national song Vande Mataram to just stanzas instead of the whole song, we could have stopped India from getting divided,” Shah said here.
He was delivering the first Bankim Chandra Chattapadhyay Memorial Lecture organised by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation on the occasion of the Bengali writer’s birthday.
“Historians blame the Khilafat movement or the Muslim League’s two-nation theory for India’s partition. But I am sure that the appeasement politics that Congress introduced by censoring Vande Mataram as a national anthem led to the country’s partition in the long run,” he said.
Some intellectuals of Bengal, including fiction writer Buddhadeb Guha, Bankim Chandra’s biographer Amitrasudan Bhattacharya, professor Purabi Roy and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Dilip Ghosh, were present at the event in a city auditorium.
Shah hailed Chattapadhyay, the author of Vande Mataram, as someone who ushered in the renaissance of India’s cultural ethos and described Vande Mataram as a manifestation of the country’s century-old tradition of nationalism.
“Vande Mataram is a manifestation of our century-old tradition of nationalism. India is not a geo-political nation, it is a geo-cultural nation. The definition of India’s nationalism is not narrow,” said Shah, who is on a two-day tour of Bengal.
“Vande Mataram was never related to a particular religion or religious belief. The song does not criticise or ridicule any community. It attempts to connect the nation with its people and manifests the tradition and culture of the region where it was produced. So bringing religion into Vande Mataram was a big mistake,” he pointed out.
However, the BJP President claimed that with the saffron outfit’s ascendency to power, the situation in the country has changed.
Referring to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply under the Jawaharlal Nehru government before quitting the Congress, Shah said Mookherjee decided to form Jana Sangh as he found the policies of Independent India to be heavily influenced by western culture.
He knew that leaving the Congress would eradicate his chance to win another election for a long time as the Congress, at that point, was heavily banking upon its contribution to India’s freedom movement and no other political party had any chance to come to power.
“But still he formed Jana Sangh because he found that the new policies formed under the Congress regime was heavily influenced by western culture and lacked the fragrance of India’s culture and heritage. They did not have any connect with the country’s culture, tradition or fundamental ideas,” Shah said.
“No matter how much we may grow, we can’t abandon our roots. If any society loses its connection with the root, it would certainly fail,” he added.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Mumbai : Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday said the 1975-77 Emergency was a “dark period” that the nation could never forget and called for making democracy stronger by “writing, debating, deliberating, and questioning” its vital aspects and pledged his full commitment to protecting the Indian Constitution and Democracy.
Simultaneously, he took the opportunity attack the Congress Party and its leaders – taking care not to name any members of the Gandhi-Nehru family – saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not observing a ‘Black Day’ merely to criticise the Congress, but to make the modern youth aware of what happened during Emergency.
“India remembers its as a dark period when every institution was subverted and an atmosphere of fear was created. Not only people but also ideas and artistic freedom were held hostage to power politics. The youth have no idea what happened then and they cannot imagine how living without freedom can be,” Modi said.
Interestingly, Modi’s comments came in Mumbai where the Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885, 132 years ago by a group of nationalists to launch the country’s freedom struggle against the British Empire.
It also came a day after union minister Arun Jaitley called the then Prime Minister, the late Indira Gandhi as ‘Hitler’ – and in Mumbai, where BJP ally and Shiv Sena’s ex-Mayor Snehal Ambekar had compared Modi with the German dictator, leading to a massive political furore exactly three years ago.
Addressing a meeting at the Birla Matoshri Autitorium, Modi hailed the spirit of those citizens who firmly opposed the Emergency that came into force on June 25, 1975, leading to suspension of the fundamental rights.
“Whenever the Congress – and especially this one family – apprehends losing power, they start shouting and raise the bogey that the country and democracy are in danger and there is an atmosophere of fear, and they alone can save it,” Modi said.
He accused the (Gandhi) family of breaking the INC – built by the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders – “in their lust for power”, and how it subverted all democratic institutions including the Constitution, the parliament, the elections, the judiciary and the media, “for the benefit of one family”.
Modi said they did everything but cleverly remained within the limits of the Constitution, but years later the family never imagined that the courts would frame corruption charges against them and they would be enlarged on bail.
“So, now they tried to scare the highest echelons of the judiciary by bringing in an impeachment motion during Emergency, judges were abruptly transferreda and their arrogant mentality remains unchanged even today,” Modi said.
Besides, canards were spread against the RSS and Jan Sangh (which later became the BJP), that they are anti-Muslims and anti-Dalit and they would butcher them, all for the lust for power of the family.
“I salute the courage of all those great women and men who steadfastly resisted the Emergency, which was imposed 43 years ago. Their struggles ensured people power prevailed over authoritarianism and the stifling of civil liberties. Media persons like the late Ramnath Goenka and the late C.R. Irani, and senior journalist Kuldip Nayar braved all odds and censorship to continue fighting for democracy, Modi said.
“In the past all parties had respected the Election Commission of India (ECI), baring one party, which has now been reduced from 400 to 44 (seats in Lok Sabha). So now they target the ECI, they attack the Electronic Voting Machinesa” Modi pointed out.
He said those who “crushed the Constitution and imprisoned Democracy cannot be trusted, but they are now alleging that “Modi will destroy the Constitution,” but assured that “we are different.
“Despite ruling for 70 years, you never celebrated the Constitutiona We started it in Parliament and right upto the school levels. We want to strengthen it even more,” the PM said.
“Let us always work to make our democratic ethos stronger. Writing, debating, deliberating, questioning are vital aspects of our democracy which we are proud of. No force can ever trample the basic tenets of our Constitution. We must remain aever vigilant’ in coming times,” he urged.
The Emergency lasted till March 21, 1977. The Congress led by Indira Gandhi then was voted out of power in the elections that were held soon after.
Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Congress President Ashish Shelar also addressed the gathering ‘1975 – Apaatkaal Loktantra par Aaghat’ where state BJP President Raosaheb Patil-Danve was also present.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Sundhanshu Trivedi
New Delhi : The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of playing politics over the term Hindu, saying it symbolised its ignorance.
“Digvijaya Singh has used Hindu word in last couple of days for number of times. He has also said that there is no Hindu word,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sundhanshu Trivedi told media at a press conference here.
Firing salvos at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader asked, “When there is no Hindu word, then how did Randeep Singh Surjewala call you a ‘janeudhari’ Hindu?”
“How many times your party will change its stand? On one hand in Kerala your party workers organise beef party and on other they convert into a ‘janeudhari’ Hindu,” he said.
“The manner their party leaders are speaking not only signifies their ignorance but also a deep rooted conspiracy,” he said.
Slamming Digvijaya Singh, Trivedi said, “He is such a learned leader that he can see ‘ji’ in Osama Bin Laden, he sees ‘Saheb’ in Hafiz Saeed and a peace loving person in Zakir Naik. This understanding of Singh and his party is exposed now.
“I want to give facts on Hindu to Singh. He should read page 72-73 of the Discovery of India written by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Where he said that this world came into practice after 10th century and it was indicated towards by and large those who are living in this Indian subcontinent denoting their culture.”
“Rahul Gandhi should say whether he is comfortable with the definition of Hindu given by his great grandfather or with Singh?” he asked.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : The Congress on Friday alleged that the demonetisation carried out by the Narendra Modi government was the “biggest scam in Independent India” to convert black money into white and the maximum deposits in cooperative banks in just five days were in BJP-ruled states, mainly Gujarat.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that RTI queries had revealed that Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank,whose directors include BJP chief Amit Shah, received the highest amount of old demonetised notes of Rs 745.58 crore in just five days.
“Nineteen months post ‘Modi made disaster’ of demonetisation, it is now officially clear that this entire exercise was the biggest scam in independent India, indulged to convert its ill-gotten ‘black money’ into ‘white’,” Surjewala said.
He said a comprehensive probe into demonetisation has become the need of the hour as one of the aspects of the revelations from an RTI query showed the maximum deposits in district cooperative banks that were controlled by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including its President Amit Shah.
IANS had done a story on Thursday based on a RTI reply which said that a bank with Amit Shah as a director collected the highest amount of banned notes among DCCBs (District Central Cooperative Banks).
Surjewala said both Modi and Shah need to come clean on the fact that in 11 district co-operative banks in Gujarat headed by BJP leaders, old notes worth Rs 3,118.51 crore were deposited within the five days during which it was allowed.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi also hit out at Shah in a tweet.
“Congratulations Amit Shahji, Director, Ahmedabad Dist. Cooperative Bank, on your bank winning first prize in the conversion of old notes to new race. Rs 750 crore in five days! Millions of Indians whose lives were destroyed by demonetisation, salute your achievement. #ShahZyadaKhaGaya.”
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : Hours after Congress leaders had slammed former President Pranab Mukherjee for attending an RSS event, the party on Thursday praised him for showing “mirror of truth” to the Sangh by reminding it of Indias pluralism, tolerance, secularism and inclusiveness as an article of faith and soul of the country.
The party also said Mukherjee reminded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his ‘Rajdharma’ and that “Indian nationalism is constitutional patriotism”.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also said in a statement that Mukherjee’s visit to RSS headquarters had caused wide ranging discussion, comment, concern and even consternation amongst a large section of Indians, who have an innate belief in foundational values of democracy, pluralism, and diversity.
His statement came soon after Mukherjee had delivered his nearly 30-minute address at the RSS headquarters during its third year annual training camp. Earlier, several Congress leaders including Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel and Anand Sharma had slammed him for attending a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh event in Nagpur.
“Pranab Mukherjee has shown the mirror of truth to the RSS at RSS headquarters in Nagpur by reminding them of India’s pluralism, tolerance, secularism and inclusiveness as an article of faith and soul of the country,” said Surjewala.
“He particularly highlighted the imperative need of freeing the public discourse from all forms of violence – physical and verbal, besides putting compassion, harmony and non-violence as the centre stage of our public life,” he added.
Surjewala said Mukherjee also reminded the Modi government of following ‘Rajdharma’, founded upon our diversity, non-violence, multiculturalism and assimilation of ideas, particularly that ‘happiness of people is the happiness of ruler, their welfare is his welfare’.
“Indicating the unchecked exercise of authority and attack on institutions in garb of a self-professed definition of ‘pseudo nationalism’, he reminded the RSS as also the prime minister that Indian nationalism is constitutional patriotism,” he added.
Noting that as Indians and as Congressmen, they encourage and believe in the democratic dialogue and recognise the tight and sanctity of dialogue across different thought processes, Surjewala asked: “Simple issue to understand, however, is – dialogue is possible in democratic order, with an open mind and willingness to change, accept and adapt to the other person’s point of view,”
“Is RSS ready to listen? Is RSS ready to change? Is RSS ready to admit its mistakes – both of thought and action? Is RSS ready to adapt to India’s foundational values of pluralism, tolerance, non-violence, secularism and diversity?
“Is RSS ready to give up its prejudice vis-a-vis women, dalits, backwards, minorities and the deprived? Is RSS ready to accept scientific temper and rationality? Is RSS ready to give up its inherent character of subjugation, domination and violence?” he asked.
Congress also wanted RSS to answer if “merely inviting the former President to an event will give it the much elusive social and political sanctity”.
—IANS
