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New Delhi: On India\u2019s Independence Day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced sharp criticism from opposition leaders across the political spectrum for lauding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP\u2019s ideological parent organization, during his speech from the Red Fort.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, Modi hailed the RSS for its \u201c100 years of national service\u201d, calling it the largest NGO in the world, and saying its legacy \u201cwill continue to inspire us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Congress MP and the party\u2019s media in-charge Jairam Ramesh slammed Modi\u2019s remarks as a \u201ca blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic\u201d and a \u201cdesperate attempt to appease the organization in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month\u201d. He added that the move politicised Independence Day for \u201cpersonal and organisational gain\u201d and undermined democratic values.<\/p>\n
Ramesh further said, \u201cDecisively weakened after the events of June 4th, 2024, he is now at their complete mercy and reliant on Mohan Bhagwat\u2019s good offices for the extension of his tenure post-September\u201d.<\/p>\n
Modi\u2019s praise of the RSS comes after Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat\u2019s remark in June this year that one must retire at the age of 75. His statement had sparked a debate on whether his words were actually meant for Modi, who along with Bhagwat will turn 75 this September.<\/p>\n
Modi\u2019s comments drew condemnation from other opposition leaders as well. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, \u201cThe RSS and its ideological allies served as British foot soldiers. They never joined the fight for independence and hated Gandhi more than they ever opposed the British\u201d. \u201cThe ideology of Hindutva believes in exclusion and is antithetical to the values of our Constitution. Modi could have gone to Nagpur to praise RSS as a Swayamsevak, why did he have to do it from the Red Fort as the Prime Minister?\u201d<\/p>\n
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) general secretary M.A. Baby said that Modi had \u201cdishonoured the memory of our martyrs and the spirit of our freedom movement\u201d by glorifying an organization with a history of communal violence.<\/p>\n
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha said that the Independence Day speech was not an occasion for the politics of \u201cdog-whistling and distorting history\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New Delhi: On India\u2019s Independence Day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced sharp criticism from opposition leaders across the political spectrum for lauding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP\u2019s ideological parent organization, during his speech from the Red Fort. According to Kashmir Media Service, Modi hailed the RSS for its \u201c100 years of national …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":181430,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-181429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t