Political tensions rise as PM Modi and Congress clash over RSS’s historical role and recent arrests in the music industry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently stated that numerous members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including its founder KB Hedgewar, were imprisoned during India’s struggle for independence. This assertion has been met with skepticism from the Congress party, which accused Modi of presenting false claims. The Congress party contends that rather than fighting against colonial rule, the RSS collaborated with the British during the Quit India movement. During an event commemorating the centenary of the RSS, Modi characterized the organization’s 100-year legacy as a remarkable example of sacrifice, selfless service, nation-building, and discipline. The RSS serves as the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has faced criticism for allegedly fostering Hindu supremacy and intolerance towards minorities.
On the same day, the Congress reiterated its stance that the RSS contributes to societal division, going as far as to assert that it bears responsibility for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The assassin, Nathuram Godse, was once associated with the RSS, although the organization claims he had distanced himself prior to the assassination.
In a separate incident, Assam Police detained Siddhartha Sharma, the manager of singer Zubeen Garg, along with Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organizer of the North East India Festival. Their arrests come more than ten days after Garg drowned during a yacht trip in Singapore. Mahanta was apprehended upon arriving in New Delhi from Singapore, while Sharma was taken into custody at an apartment in Gurugram, Haryana. Both individuals have been placed in police custody for 14 days. Zubeen Garg passed away on September 19, the day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival, an event organized by the Government of India and the Indian Embassy in Singapore, with support from the Assam Association and the North East India Association in the region. Following Garg’s death, over 50 cases were filed against Mahanta and Sharma.
On an international front, the United States government has suspended most of its operations due to a failure to reach an agreement on federal funding between the White House and Congress. Approximately 750,000 federal workers are expected to face unpaid leave or possible termination during this funding impasse. The situation escalated when the Senate rejected a short-term spending bill intended to maintain government services through November 21. Democrats opposed the legislation because it did not include an extension of health benefits for millions of Americans, which are set to expire at the end of the year, thereby raising insurance premium costs. In contrast, Republicans have argued that this issue should be addressed separately.
In legal news, the Bombay High Court denied writer and activist Anand Teltumbde permission to travel to Europe for a series of lectures and seminars at various universities. The court considered concerns from the National Investigation Agency that Teltumbde might evade legal proceedings. The court suggested that he either conduct virtual lectures or refrain from traveling. Teltumbde is one of the 16 individuals accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case, which is linked to violence that occurred near Pune after the Elgar Parishad conclave held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle. The violence resulted in one death and several injuries. Teltumbde, a Dalit rights activist and author of nearly 30 books, was named an accused in August 2018, surrendered in April 2020, and was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in November 2022.
