What is wrong in inviting Salman Khan to RSS chief Bhagwat's event, asks Dy CM Shinde
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has defended the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for inviting actor Salman Khan to an event addressed by its chief Mohan Bhagwat, and sought to know what was wrong in having the Bollywood actor at the function.
Khan was among some of the Bollywood celebrities who took part in the event held over the weekend, where Bhagwat delivered a speech. The programme at Mumbai's Nehru Centre was organised as part of the RSS' centenary celebrations.
Shinde said Khan is an Indian national and believes in the country's tradition and culture.
"What is wrong in inviting Salman Khan for the RSS event," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, asked on Tuesday.
RSS is a patriotic organisation, the deputy CM said, adding that patriotism is imbibed in every cell of the RSS activists.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at the RSS after Salman Khan was seen interacting with Bhagwat at the event.
"Was it a welcome for Bollywood star Salman Khan or (a message that) Muslims are also welcome in the Sangh and its shakhas?" the Rajya Sabha member had asked.
However, state BJP minister Nitesh Rane on Tuesday slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, claiming that Salman Khan was "more Hindu" than him, and praised the actor for showing the courage to attend the RSS chief's programme.
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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.
