Cong slams PM for praising RSS in Independence Day speech, calls it ‘violation of secular spirit’
New Delhi: The Congress slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday for praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his Independence Day address. Describing the move as "very worrisome," Congress claimed that it violates India's constitutional and secular values.
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of using the Red Fort platform for "personal and organisational benefit," claiming that the remarks were a premeditated attempt to gratify the RSS ahead of Modi's 75th birthday. “The PM was tired today. Soon he will be retired,” Ramesh quipped, branding the speech “stale, hypocritical, and insipid” with little measurable progress behind repeated slogans like ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
“The most troubling element was his name-checking of the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic. It is nothing but a desperate attempt to appease the organisation in the run-up to his 75th birthday,” Ramesh posted on X, hinting at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion that leaders step aside at that age.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore also hit out, alleging that Modi’s praise for the RSS was aimed at blocking his own retirement. “RSS’s legacy is not of fighting colonialism, but of spreading hate and division among fellow Indians,” Tagore wrote on X, adding that the organisation stayed away from key freedom movements like Quit India and the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Tagore said even Sardar Patel acknowledged that the RSS “did not participate in the struggle for independence in any substantial way,” calling the PM’s remarks “an insult to the memory of real freedom fighters.”
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PM unveils development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore in Sikkim
Gangtok (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore in Sikkim while attending the closing ceremony of the state's 50 years of statehood celebrations.
The projects span a wide range of sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture, the officials said.
These projects are aimed at accelerating holistic and inclusive development in Sikkim.
The PM's visit marks an important milestone in the golden jubilee year of Sikkim's statehood and reflects the government's "continued commitment to the rapid and sustainable development of the Himalayan state", the officials said.
