CM Siddaramaiah slams PM Modi for praising RSS in Independence Day speech
Bengaluru, Aug 15 (PTI): Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for describing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the "world’s biggest NGO", Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday accused him of "speaking as an RSS pracharak from the ramparts of the Red Fort" rather than as the leader of 140 crore Indians.
Siddaramaiah claimed the RSS is "the world’s biggest for-political-profit, for-hate, and most divisive organisation—unregistered, non-tax-paying, and conspiring to pit Indians against each other."
Earlier in the day, Modi had hailed 100 years of the RSS as a "very proud and glorious" journey of the "world’s biggest NGO" and saluted its volunteers for their service to the nation. Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, he said the country is not built by the government alone but by the efforts of people across society.
Quoting from Modi’s remarks, Siddaramaiah claimed on 'X': "Let’s be clear: the RSS is not an NGO. It is an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation that thrives on political profit and hate, and conspires to divide Indians."
He alleged the Red Fort was "not a BJP rally stage" but a place of historical significance from where the prime minister must speak for all citizens, not promote his party's parent body.
"By praising the RSS, PM Modi spoke as an RSS pracharak, not as the leader of 140 crore people," Siddaramaiah alleged, calling the remarks a "desperate move to appease the RSS" when Modi was "politically weakened and reliant on its backing."
The chief minister claimed Modi had "lost the moral right" to speak for the whole country by endorsing an organisation that "had no role in the freedom struggle, opposed the tricolour, and worked against the idea of an equal and inclusive India."
Calling the RSS an outfit whose ideology inspired Mahatma Gandhi's assassination and which was banned three times for "spreading hate", Siddaramaiah accused it of twisting Hinduism—"a faith of diversity and tolerance"—into a narrow vision that treats those outside it as second-class citizens.
He alleged the RSS has "engineered and fuelled communal violence for decades" and "corrupted young minds through its networks."
He asked whether the prime minister did not see that its "supremacist vision denies equality, poisons harmony, and contradicts the Constitution."
"Independence Day is a time to honour those who united India," he said, alleging that "instead, PM Modi glorified a force that thrives on polarisation, collaborated with the British, and mirrors their authoritarianism."
"Our freedom was won by people of every religion, caste, and language under the tricolour. No organisation is bigger than that unity or above the Constitution. No Prime Minister can turn Independence Day into a tribute to those who divide India," he claimed.
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Dense fog disrupts operations at Delhi airport; 228 flights cancelled, 5 diverted
New Delhi (PTI): Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Delhi Airport on Monday, with various airlines cancelling 228 flights and diverting five to nearby airports due to low visibility, an official said.
However, except for Air India, which had in an X post in the morning announced the cancellation of some 40 flights, no other airlines, including crisis-hit IndiGo, shared the numbers of their cancelled or delayed flights.
"As many as 228 flights -- 131 departures and 97 arrivals-- have been cancelled due to low visibility, so far," the airport official said.
In addition to this, five flights have been diverted so far, he said.
Earlier, the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), in a statement, said, "Our on-ground officials are working closely with all stakeholders to assist passengers and provide necessary support across Terminals.
"Low visibility (below minima), due to dense fog, has severely impacted operations at Delhi and other airports across northern India, which is unfortunately beyond our control," IndiGo said in a statement.
As operations are adjusted to prevailing weather conditions, some flights may experience delays, while a few others may be proactively cancelled during the day to prioritise safety and minimise extended waiting at the airport, the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo, however, did not say how many of its flights were cancelled or delayed.
The airline said its teams are "closely monitoring" the situation and coordinating with Delhi airport.
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IndiGo also said it issued advisories to its customers and "proactively" informing them, to minimise inconvenience.
“Poor visibility due to dense fog in Delhi this morning has impacted flight operations for all airlines. We are closely monitoring conditions and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so,” Air India said in a post on X in the morning.
It also said that some flights have been cancelled In the interest of safety, and to avoid prolonged uncertainty for the guests, while listing out some 40 arrivals and departures that it had cancelled for the day.
Delhi airport is the country's busiest, handling around 1,300 flight movements daily.
