Are RSS members 'native Indians', 'Dravidians', or 'Aryans', asks Congress leader Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, May 27: Targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, senior Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday questioned whether those who belonged to the outfit were "native Indians", "Dravidians" or "Aryans".
The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly also blamed the lack of unity within Indian society for the invasion of Mughals and British and their rule for a long period.
Angered by comments against their ideological parent organisation, several BJP leaders have sharply reacted and have hit out at the former chief minister.
"Are these RSS people native Indians? Unnecessarily, we don't want to discuss it and so are quite...are Aryans from this country? Are they Dravidians? We will have to go to their origins," Siddaramaiah said, while speaking on a brewing controversy over a lesson regarding RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in school textbooks.
Speaking at the event commemorating former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's death anniversary here, he asked who was responsible for the Mughals to rule the country for 600 years.
"If you were all united, why would they (Mughals) have come (and invaded), who gave them the space? Who is responsible for the British to rule this country for 200 years? I don't want to go further on this," he added.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who shared the stage along with Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders, supported the former CM's comments and said, he too had said the same thing in the Parliament in the past.
"When there was some controversy and calls for actor Shah Rukh Khan and his family to leave the country...I had told (Defence Minister) Rajnath Singh that you guys have come from central Asia, you are descendants of Hitler, you leave..." he said.
Reacting to Siddaramaiah's comments, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Congress Legislature Party leader either doesn't know the facts or was playing a "drama" to please party leader Rahul Gandhi and appease Muslims.
Pointing out that Hedgewar was initially with the Congress and was head of its Seva Dal, he said, "Several Congress leaders have written about his contribution to the freedom struggle and support he gave to revolutionaries. We (the Congress and BJP) may have ideological differences, but Hedgewar was a true patriot and he founded RSS in India."
BJP national General Secretary C T Ravi said: "He (Siddaramaiah) often sees Bharat and Barateeyate (Indianness) with Macaulay's viewpoint, when the spirit enters..." he said.
Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh said, "My only answer is those in RSS are Indians and followers of its philosophy, and not Italians or with Italian leadership."
Senior BJP leader and MLA K H Eshwarappa said RSS members are those who do not follow a foreign leader, as he demanded that Siddaramaiah apologise to the people of the country for his comments.
"RSS is a patriotic organisation built by people who are sons of this soil, unlike Congress which is in the hands of (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi. Which country is she from?" he questioned.
Several other BJP leaders too have targeted Siddaramaiah.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sahebaan Welfare Trust launches membership induction drive in UAE
Dubai (Press Release): Sahebaan Welfare Trust (SWT) Mangalore launched its membership induction drive recently at the premises of Northern Insurance Company on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The launching ceremony happened in the presence of trustees and members of the trust in UAE, including Nasir Syed, Mateen Ahmed Chilmi, Yunus Sheikh, Nisar Khan, Ajmal Syed, and Althaf Khalife.
As part of the induction drive, SWT unveiled its brochure, signaling the expansion of its membership outreach not only in India but also in the UAE and other countries.
Established in December 2023, SWT is dedicated to addressing the welfare needs of the Sahebaan community, predominantly Urdu-speaking individuals hailing from the DK and Udupi districts. Moreover, SWT aims to bridge the gap in representation for returning Sahebaan NRIs in India.
Embodying principles of peace and harmony, SWT adheres to a stringent group membership policy while respecting the laws of the respective countries.
During the ceremony, Syed Siraj Ahmed, General Secretary of SWT, provided insights into the organization's objectives, past achievements, and forthcoming plans. These include a series of bi-monthly welfare talks covering education, health, taxation, NRI investments in India, and active participation in governmental initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and traffic awareness campaigns, alongside fostering interfaith harmony.
Afroz Assadi, President of SWT, extended a warm welcome to all attendees, expressing gratitude for their presence and spoke on the importance of continued support and cooperation to realize the objectives set forth by SWT. The constructive and beneficial role of SWT Ladies Wing was noted and appreciated during the meeting.
Faizaan Khatib, Lead of the SWT Youth Wing was also present.
