Togadia hits out at Modi, Bhagwat on Ram Temple issue
Nagpur, Oct 7: Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat accusing them of not fulfilling the promise of building Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Togadia also slammed Bhagwat for stating that "Hindu Rashtra does not mean there is no place for Muslims". Bhagwat had made the statement at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's three-day lecture series in September this year.
"Hindu Rashtra doesn't mean there's no place for Muslims. The day it is said so, it won't be Hindutva any more. Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," Bhagwat had said.
Addressing a press conference here Sunday, Togadia said, "I want to ask if there is no Hindutva without gau hatyaare (cow killers), love jihadis, stone pelters and Pakistani flag wavers in Kashmir."
"We had joined the RSS 52 years ago considering it to be a Hindu organisation. But now we feel it is only concerned with the interests of Muslim community," Togadia added.
The former VHP leader alleged that the RSS was not interested in pursuing the cause of building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
He said that instead of demanding a temple be constructed, the RSS chief should "order" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the government to enact a law in Parliament to pave the way for a Ram Temple.
He also accused PM Modi of "appeasing" Muslim community and going back on the promise to build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
"When it comes to the SC/ST Act, Modi says Parliament will decide on the matter and not the courts. But when it comes to building the Ram Temple, Modi backtracks and says the courts will decide on the issue and not Parliament," Togadia said.
He charged Modi with forsaking the ideology of the BJP as well as that of Hindutva.
Speaking about the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), an outfit he formed after quitting the VHP, Togadia said the organisation would pursue "Hindu politics".
When asked whether AHP will support the Shiv Sena in the elections, Togadia said, "If (Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray pursues the saffron flag (Hindutva politics), we will support him."
Togadia had quit the VHP on April 14 this year after former Himachal Pradesh governor V S Kokje defeated his nominee Raghav Reddy in an election for the post of VHP International president.
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Supreme Court declares Tamil Nadu Governor’s withholding of assent to bills “illegal and arbitrary”
New Delhi: In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to 10 Bills passed by the State Assembly was “illegal” and “arbitrary”. The court also held that his move to subsequently reserve the Bills for Presidential consideration was not in line with constitutional principles and set aside the Governor’s actions.
The ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, marks a major victory for the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government. The court said the Governor had failed to act in "good faith" and had disregarded constitutional obligations.
“The action of the Governor to reserve the 10 Bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary. Thus, the action is set aside. All actions taken by the Governor thereto for the 10 Bills are set aside. These Bills shall be deemed to be cleared from the date it was re-presented to the Governor,” the bench stated in its order.
The court underlined that Article 200 of the Constitution does not grant unchecked discretion to the Governor. It laid down clear timelines for the exercise of powers under this provision, thereby reinforcing the principle of accountability in constitutional governance.
Timelines and Judicial Review
The judgment prescribed the following timeframes:
- A Governor must act within one month when withholding assent or reserving a Bill for the President’s consideration, with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
- When reserving a Bill without the Council's advice, the Governor has a maximum of three months.
- If a Bill is re-passed by the state legislature after reconsideration, the Governor must grant assent within one month.
The court clarified that any delay or deviation from these guidelines could invite judicial review, thereby making the Governor’s actions subject to legal scrutiny.
“This court is in no way undermining the powers of the Governor. All actions of the Governor must align with the principle of parliamentary democracy,” the bench noted.
Tense relations between Raj Bhavan and State Government
Governor RN Ravi, a former IPS officer and ex-CBI official, assumed office in Tamil Nadu in 2021. His tenure has been marred by frequent clashes with the MK Stalin-led government. The ruling DMK has repeatedly accused him of behaving like a BJP spokesperson and obstructing the state government’s legislative and administrative functioning.
These confrontations have been evident in the Assembly as well. In 2023, the Governor refused to deliver the customary address, criticising the draft as containing “misleading claims far from truth”. In 2022, he omitted portions of the speech that mentioned leaders like Dr BR Ambedkar, Periyar, and CN Annadurai, as well as references to the “Dravidian Model” and the law and order situation in the state.
Last year, the Governor also walked out of the Assembly during his address after objecting to the absence of the National Anthem at the beginning of the session. As per tradition, the Tamil Nadu Assembly plays the Tamil Thai Valthu at the start and the National Anthem at the end. Governor Ravi, however, insisted that the National Anthem be played at both times.
The state government has maintained that the Governor’s repeated withholding of assent and refusal to act on Bills passed by the legislature amounts to an attack on democratic values and federalism.
Tuesday’s Supreme Court verdict is expected to have far-reaching implications on Centre-state relations and the constitutional role of Governors across the country.
