Rahul Gandhi appears in Maharashtra Court in RSS defamation case

The Congress Vice President presented himself before Magistrate D P Kale in line with the commitment given by his counsel on March 30. The court posted the case for September 30.

Rahul, who spent less than 15 minutes in court, told reporters that he had come to honour the commitment given to the court.

"We respect the judiciary, that is why I am here. I had made a commitment to the court. I am here to fulfill that commitment," Rahul said in a post on his official twitter handle.

"The fight which Gandhi ji fought is our fight. We will fight that and we will win," another tweet said.

He arrived in Mumbai this morning on way to Bengaluru and drove to Thane.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday stayed the proceedings against him in the criminal defamation case filed by Rajesh Kunte, an RSS functionary, before Bhiwandi trial court for allegedly blaming RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

"There shall be stay of further proceedings in a case pending before the trial court till the next date of hearing," a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant had said on Saturday.

The court had also tagged Rahul's petition in which he has also challenged the constitutional validity of the panel provisions dealing with criminal defamation along with that of politicians of rival parities, BJP's Subramanian Swamy and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Rajesh Kunte, the complainan , had alleged that the Congress leader said at an election rally at Sonale in Thane district on March 6 last year that an RSS worker killed Mahatma Gandhi. Kunte is secretary of the Bhiwandi unit of RSS.

Source: Latest News

Congress threatens to hit back at PM Modi from foreign soil

Demanding an apology from the Prime Minister, who while speaking at at an event in Canada yesterday accused the previous governments of creating a "mess" in the country, the opposition party said Modi should realise that he represents the country and not RSS or BJP when he goes abroad.
      
"It shows his sick mentality. He has again broken the tradition of not taking domestic politics abroad and has again made malicious attacks on previous governments.
   
"We cannot tolerate such unbecoming behaviour any longer. Henceforth, if he again does so on foreign soil, a Congress leader or spokesman will be present there and will respond immediately," party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.
  
He replied in the negative when asked if it would not precipatate matters between the two sides and said it would help bring "balance".
    
"The Prime Minister should apologise. We have honoured the convention so far. The Prime Minister should realise that he goes abroad as the Prime Minister of the country and not as a 'Pracharak' of the BJP and RSS," the spokesperson said.
    

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No minorities in India, all culturally, DNA-wise Hindus: RSS

"Whom do you call minorities? We don't consider anybody to be a minority. There should be no minority concept in the country because there is no minority." senior RSS leader asserted

Mohan Bhagwat (RSS chief) has said it 20 times that all those born in India are Hindus. Whether they accept it or not, they are culturally, nationally and DNA-wise the same, Hosabale claimed as the three-day conclave of Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the top decision-making body of RSS, is underway.

He was responding to a question on whether RSS would open its door for the religious minorities and women.

"In Sangh Shakhas, the so called minorities that people say are already there...they are volunteers," RSS joint general secretary, said.

Women, he said, were there in Rashtra Sevika Samitis and actively involved in the activities of RSS. "They (women) are indeed not there in the Shakhas, but are everywhere else. They are involved in the Seva activities and are active, even full time volunteers. Several of them are even in the Pratinidhi Sabha," he added.

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RSS mouthpiece shows PoK as Pakistan territory; Government to probe

An embarrassed government promised to investigate the matter saying this was not its stand and neither of the Sangh.    

The matter was raised by Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad when the House met for the day, saying a map published in the 'Organiser' depicted Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Pakistan.
   
"Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of India and numerous sacifices have been made to maintain it as the crown," he said.

Observing that the BJP and RSS have been in the forefront of protests whenever a foreign magazine showed PoK as part of Pakistan, Azad wanted to know from the government if it approved of the 'Organiser' map.
   
Responding on behalf of the government, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and "we will investigate" the article in 'Organiser'.

This is "not the view of the Sangh, neither the BJP's and nor that of the government," Prasad said.

Despite the Minister's reply, Congress members continued to press the issue, with S Chaturvedi wanting to know what action the government proposes to take against the author.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Minister has made a categorical statement that Jammu and Kashmir is part of India and nobody can change it.

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