Congress leaders should criticise RSS aggressively: Jitu Patwari

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Bhopal/Ahmedabad, April 9 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari on Wednesday asked his party leaders to aggressively criticise the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) like the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticises them.

“Congress leaders should criticise RSS aggressively just like LoP Rahul Gandhi. The leaders who are afraid to criticise RSS cannot fight Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP,” said Jitu Patwari while addressing the ‘Nyaypath’ session of All India Congress in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.

He added that RSS is a political organisation and urged Congress leaders and workers to take a pledge to take an aggressive approach against the organisation.

“RSS is a social and cultural organisation. When PM Modi did ‘note-bandi’, RSS remained silent. It means that the BJP and RSS are the same. Congress leaders and workers should take on them in a similar fashion,” Patwari said.

He further added that when demonetisation was imposed in 2016, LoP Rahul Gandhi cautioned the country that it would have an adverse impact on India’s economy.

“But, the BJP mocked Rahul Gandhi while RSS supported the demonetisation,” he said.

Patwari said that all the Congress leaders should take a pledge to consider RSS as a political organisation only.

“Those who fear to criticise RSS cannot fight and win against BJP and PM Modi,” he reiterated.

On April 8-9, the Indian National Congress (INC) convened a two-day All India Congress Committee (AICC) conclave in Ahmedabad, marking its first such session in Gujarat in over six decades.

The event, themed ‘Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan aur Sangharsh’ (Path of Justice: Resolve, Dedication and Struggle), unfolded against the symbolic backdrop of the Sabarmati Riverfront, between the Sabarmati and Kochrab Ashrams, places steeped in the history of India’s freedom struggle.

With over 1,700 elected and co-opted AICC members in attendance, the conclave aimed to reassert the party’s ideological roots and outline its roadmap for revival, particularly in Gujarat, a state long dominated by the BJP.

–IANS

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Cong govt in Himachal misusing central funds to construct boundary wall for private firm: BJP

Shimla, Feb 13 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh BJP Vice President and former minister Rajeev Saizal on Thursday accused the Congress government in the state of constructing a boundary wall by spending Rs 8.75 crore for a private company in the industrial belt of Baddi by using funds from the centrally-sponsored PM Gati Shakti scheme.

“The government should answer why the Central funds were diverted. The PM Gati Shakti scheme, designed to enhance seamless connectivity and infrastructure, is being used to construct a two-km boundary wall around Indo Farm Equipment Ltd plot along the Ratta river in Baddi,” Saizal said in a statement.

He said the Industries Department is executing the project through the Himachal Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (HPSIDC).

“Rs 14 crore was sanctioned for the project, with Rs 8.75 crore allocated to erect the wall along the riverbank. The first installment of Rs 3 crore has already been disbursed,” he said.

The BJP leader said the land allotment to the company in January 2022 was granted a customised package for establishing an auto park in Baddi, with the promise of generating 300 jobs.

“Nearly three years later, the land allegedly remains unused, with no industrial activity initiated,” he said.

Saizal questioned whether funds under the PM Gati Shakti are meant for public infrastructure development. Using them to benefit a single private firm is a misuse.

Meanwhile, the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority was given a mere Rs 2 lakh for broader development needs.

He also accused the Congress government of double standards, saying, “The Congress blames the BJP for corruption inside the Assembly but engages in questionable practices outside it. This is a glaring example of hypocrisy.”

The allotment terms required the company to begin production within 24-30 months and invest Rs 150 crore of the proposed Rs 500 crore within this period.

“These conditions remained unmet, yet the government had not taken action to reclaim the land,” he said.

As per the former minister, Rs 42 crore has been granted under the PM Gati Shakti scheme, Rs 35 crore allocated for creating an IT park in Palampur and Rs 7 crore was meant for infrastructure development in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt.

–IANS

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41 exam centres in Vadodara to host GUJCET under strict rules

Vadodara, March 21 (IANS) The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) will conduct the Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GUJCET) on March 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 41 examination centres across Vadodara city.

To ensure a fair and smooth examination process, prevent any irregularities, and maintain law and order, the Vadodara City Police Commissioner issued a public order enforcing several restrictions.

As per the directive, strict regulations will be imposed at examination centres.

Candidates and visitors are strictly prohibited from carrying electronic devices such as mobile phones, walkie-talkies, cordless phones, wireless gadgets, or any other electronic equipment inside the exam halls.

Additionally, a gathering of four or more people within a 100-metre radius of the exam centres is not permitted during the exam hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To maintain a disturbance-free environment, the use of loudspeakers and xerox machines near the exam centres are strictly banned.

To prevent power disruptions, no digging or construction work is allowed during the examination period.

While these restrictions applied to the general public and students, authorised officials from the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board are permitted to use mobile phones for official duties during the exam.

Any violation of these rules could result in penal action, as said in the order issued by the Vadodara City Police Commissioner.

Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GUJCET) will be held on March 23 this year.

This state-level entrance exam facilitates admissions to engineering and pharmacy courses across Gujarat.

In the previous year, 1,37,799 candidates registered for GUJCET, comprising 75,558 boys and 62,241 girls.

While the exact number of applicants for the 2025 exam has not been officially released, a similar turnout is anticipated.

The exam will be conducted in an offline (pen-and-paper) mode, spanning three hours.

It will encompass three sections—Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics—each containing 40 multiple-choice questions.

The medium of the question paper will be English, Hindi, and Gujarati.

Candidates will receive one mark for each correct answer, with a deduction of 0.25 marks for every incorrect response.

Aspiring candidates were required to register by December 31, 2024, with an application fee of Rs 350.

–IANS

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TN Assembly passes unanimous resolution urging Centre to retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka

Chennai, April 2 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to take immediate steps to retrieve the Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka.

The island, located in the Palk Bay, has long been a source of contention due to the ongoing plight of Tamil Nadu fishermen who face repeated arrests and harassment by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who moved the resolution in the Assembly, said: “The retrieval of Katchatheevu is the only permanent solution to protect the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen and to end their suffering at the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy.”

The resolution comes just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Sri Lanka and calls on the Centre to review the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement of 1974, under which Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka. It also urges the Prime Minister to engage with the Sri Lankan government during his visit to secure the release of all imprisoned Indian fishermen and their boats on humanitarian grounds.

Highlighting the continuing troubles faced by fishermen, Stalin said that attacks and arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy persist despite changes in the political leadership of Sri Lanka.

“The Union government seems to forget that these are Indian citizens – Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu. Before the 2014 Parliamentary elections, Narendra Modi had assured that not a single fisherman would be arrested if the BJP came to power. Yet, the arrests continue.”

Stalin revealed that in 2024 alone, 530 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, with many handed lengthy prison sentences or heavy fines for allegedly crossing maritime boundaries.

“It is deeply troubling that the Sri Lankan authorities treat our fishermen with such cruelty, depriving them of their livelihood. This is condemnable. The Union government must intervene and act decisively,” he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that he had written 74 letters to both the Prime Minister and the Union External Affairs Minister on the issue. Despite ongoing efforts to establish dialogue between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen, no meaningful progress has been achieved.

“The actions of the Sri Lankan Navy have pushed our fishermen into a dire situation. Their traditional fishing rights are under threat, and their families live in constant fear. How long can we tolerate this? Retrieving Katchatheevu is the only lasting solution,” Stalin said.

He also criticised political parties and the Union government for spreading misinformation that the then Tamil Nadu government had willingly handed over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.

“It is unfortunate that even the Union government has echoed this for political gain,” he said.

The DMK government, Stalin said, has consistently pursued efforts to reclaim Katchatheevu and safeguard the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen. This included numerous communications to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister over the years. He also acknowledged that during the tenures of former Chief Ministers J. Jayalalithaa and O. Panneerselvam, similar resolutions were passed – in October 1991, May 2013, and December 2014 -demanding the retrieval of the island.

Stalin recalled his request to the Prime Minister during his first visit to Tamil Nadu after he assumed office as Chief Minister, urging concrete steps to reclaim Katchatheevu. He accused the BJP-led Union government of failing to take any meaningful action to address the long-standing issue.

–IANS

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