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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Karnataka fast-tracks investment approvals, cuts red tape across key clearances: Minister Patil
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Saturday said the state government has fast-tracked approvals for investment projects and taken measures to cut red tape.
He said that since 2022, Karnataka has approved 2,028 projects worth Rs 5.11 lakh crore, which could create 7.16 lakh jobs.
Of these, Rs 69,564 crore has already been realised, generating 1.06 lakh jobs, he added.
“Karnataka fast-tracks approvals, cuts red tape,” the Minister for Large & Medium Industries said.
“Clear results of our government’s push to speed up approval processes are now evident. Not only have investment agreements been secured, but effective implementation is also underway,” he said in a post on X.
He added that simplified and swift approval processes are boosting investor confidence and providing greater impetus to industrial growth across the state.
“Karnataka’s investment-friendly environment is further strengthened by its culture of ease of doing business,” he said.
Noting that Karnataka is fast-tracking approvals and aligning departments and districts for on-ground delivery, the minister said: “We have overhauled 18 key approvals, cutting land use change clearance time from 120 to 45 days, fire NOC from 60 to 21 days, factory plan approvals from 30 to 14 days, and electrical approvals to just 10 days.”
In a competitive landscape, Karnataka is acting decisively to ensure faster decisions, fewer delays, and a truly pro-industry ecosystem, he added.
