Owaisi questions RSS role in India's freedom struggle
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has questioned the contribution of RSS in India's freedom struggle and alleged that Sangh founder K B Hedgewar was jailed not for opposing British rule but for supporting the 'Khilafat movement'.
Addressing a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Monday ahead of the municipal corporation polls scheduled on January 15, he denied the presence of Bangladeshis in the region and claimed that if any Bangladeshi migrants were found here, it would reflect the failure of the Narendra Modi government.
He criticised the ruling BJP for using such narratives to push its Hindutva agenda and distract from governance failures.
Targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Owaisi said, "Is there any RSS leader who has been to jail fighting against the British?"
"They say that Hedgewar was imprisoned, but he went to jail in support of the Khilafat movement. And today they speak of hatred against Muslims," he claimed.
"RSS gives us the knowledge of patriotism, but did anyone from them lose their lives against the Britishers? Instead, (socialist leader) Yusuf Meherally of Mumbai gave the slogans of 'Quit India' and 'Simon Go back'. They don't read the history and accuse us of being Bangladeshis," he charged.
The Khilafat movement (1919 to 1924) was an agitation by Muslims to pressure the British government to preserve the authority of the Ottoman Sultan as Caliph (spiritual leader) of Islam after World War I.
Owaisi targeted the government, saying that despite having police, intelligence, and border control, it failed to complete even a 10-km fence along the Bangladesh border.
"China and ISI have reached Bangladesh, and the BJP and RSS are saying 'Bangladesh-Bangladesh' here," he added.
He appealed to the people to vote in large numbers in the upcoming municipal elections, emphasising that a strong turnout would serve as proof of their participation when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) takes place in Maharashtra.
The authority to question citizenship lies with the Home Ministry as per the Citizenship Act, "but the Modi government has given these responsibilities to the Election Commission," Owaisi alleged.
Former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel challenged state Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s claim that the party would be wiped out in the elections here.
"I challenge you (Shinde) that if this happens here, I will shave my beard. But if it does not happen, you should be ready to use a razor for the same," he added.
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
