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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

‘Bharat Ratna to Savarkar will increase its prestige’

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday threw his full weight behind the long-standing demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that the Hindutva ideologue’s inclusion would enhance the dignity of the country’s highest civilian honour. Bhagwat, who explained the genesis and growth of the RSS over past 100 years in two lectures at the Nehru Centre here on Saturday and Sunday, replied to several...

‘Bharat Ratna to Savarkar will increase its prestige’

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday threw his full weight behind the long-standing demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that the Hindutva ideologue’s inclusion would enhance the dignity of the country’s highest civilian honour. Bhagwat, who explained the genesis and growth of the RSS over past 100 years in two lectures at the Nehru Centre here on Saturday and Sunday, replied to several questions. While replying to one of the questions, he remarked, “If Swatantraveer Savarkar is given the Bharat Ratna, the prestige of the Bharat Ratna itself will increase.” He was asked, why there has been a delay in conferring the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar, in reply to which, Bhagwat said, “I am not part of that committee. But if I meet someone, I will ask. Even without that honour, he rules the hearts of millions of people.” he added. Social Divisions Bhagwat replied to questions that were clubbed in 14 different groups ranging from national security to environment, social harmony, youth, arts and sports. Whenever the questions suggested or expressed expectations that the RSS should do certain things, Bhagwat stressed on the involvement of the society and initiative from the society in resolving the problems. While addressing the critical issue of Uniform Civil Code, Bhagwat stated that the UCC should be framed by taking everyone into confidence and must not lead to social divisions. In the same way while replying to the question related to illegal migrants in the country, Bhagwat urged people to “detect and report” the “illegal infiltrators” to the police. He also urged people not to give them any employment and to be more “vigilant.” Backing SIR He highlighted that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has already revealed the “foreigners” living in the country. “The government has a lot to do regarding infiltration. They have to detect and deport. This wasn’t happening until now, but it has started little by little, and it will gradually increase. When the census or the SIR is conducted, many people come to light who are not citizens of this country; they are automatically excluded from the process,” he said. “But we can do one thing: we can work on detection. Their language gives them away. We should detect them and report them to the appropriate authorities. We should inform the police that we suspect these people are foreigners, and they should investigate and keep an eye on them, and we will also keep an eye on them. We will not give employment to any foreigner. If someone is from our country, we will give them employment, but not to foreigners. You should be a little more vigilant and aware,” he added. SC Chief Emphasising the inclusivity of the Sangh, he said that anyone can become ‘Sarsanghchalak’ (RSS chief), including the SC and STs, as the decision is solely dependent on the work that any individual put for the organisation. “Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra or Brahmin does not qualify for the Sarsanghchalak position (RSS Chief), a Hindu will become the one who works and is best available. A Hindu will become, and that can also be an SC or ST. Anyone can become it depends on the work. Today, if you see, all classes have representation in the Sangh. The decision is taken on the basis of one who works and is best available,” he said. He pointed out that when the RSS was founded, its work began in a Brahmin-dominated community and hence, most of its founders were Brahmins, which led to the organisation being labelled as a Brahmin outfit at the time. People always look for an organisation that has representatives from their community, he said. “If I were to choose a chief, I would go by the ‘best available candidate’ criterion. When I was appointed RSS chief, there were many best candidates, but they were not available. I was the one who could be relieved from duties and appointed,” he said. He said that to belong to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities is not a disqualification, and neither is being a Brahmin a qualification to become the RSS chief. Ready to step down if Sangh asks for Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Sangh had asked him to continue working despite his age, while stressing that he would step down from the post whenever the organisation directs him to do so. “There is no election to the post of RSS chief. Regional and divisional heads appoint the chief. Generally, it is said that after turning 75, one should work without holding any post,” Bhagwat said. “I have completed 75 years and informed the RSS, but the organisation asked me to continue working. Whenever the RSS asks me to step down, I will do so, but retirement from work will never happen,” he said.

Eyes on Uddhav over RS seat

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief may secure his berth in the Legislative Council over the Rajya Sabha seat

Mumbai: As the political dust settles from the municipal elections, a new crisis is brewing for Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray. The date May 13, 2026, looms large on the calendar—the day his tenure as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) expires.


In normal circumstances, a party chief’s re-election to the Upper House is a formality. But, in the current fractured landscape of Maharashtra politics, where the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is battling a numerical drought in the assembly, Uddhav Thackeray faces a stark "Sophie’s Choice": Sacrifice a Rajya Sabha seat for a loyal Shiv Sainik to secure his own political survival in the state legislature, or risk his Council seat to maintain the party's voice in Delhi.


The upcoming legislative elections are governed by a ruthless calculus. Seven Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra will fall vacant on April 2; while nine seats from Maharashtra legislative council are falling vacant on May 13. Quota to win one Rajya Sabha seat is approximately 37 votes; while for the legislative council seat, it is roughly 29 votes. The MVA, with a combined strength of just 46 MLAs (Congress, SS-UBT, and NCP-SP), finds itself in a precarious position.


The reality is very clear that the alliance has enough votes to comfortably elect only one candidate to the Rajya Sabha and only one candidate to the Legislative Council. This scarcity creates a direct conflict between the ambitions of the alliance partners and the survival needs of their leaders.


No Charity

Political observers suggest that the Congress, the Grand Old Party is reportedly in no mood for charity. However, the numbers are with the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra legislative assembly. The equation being discussed in hushed tones is a "Seat-for-Seat" barter. If the Congress (or Sharad Pawar’s NCP) agrees to support Uddhav Thackeray as the sole consensus candidate for the Legislative Council seat, they will likely demand the Rajya Sabha seat in return.


This puts Uddhav in a bind. The Rajya Sabha seat is a prestigious post and giving it up means reducing the Sena’s footprint in Parliament.


For the Shiv Sena (UBT), the question is existential.


Being there as MLC is Uddhav’s necessity. He must remain a member of the legislature to continue leading the opposition charge effectively in the state. Losing his Council seat would strip him of his official legislative platform, reducing him to a purely organizational head—a risk he cannot afford with the Assembly elections on the horizon.


To secure his seat, Uddhav may have to "sacrifice" the Rajya Sabha aspirations of his loyalists. A seat that could have gone to a fiery orator or a senior organizational worker might have to be ceded to the Congress or NCP-SP (potentially for Sharad Pawar himself, if he chooses to contest) to buy their support for the Council polls.


RS Dilemma

The situation mirrors the Rajya Sabha dilemma involving Sharad Pawar. The NCP (SP) patriarch is also retiring. If he decides to seek re-election, the MVA will almost certainly rally behind him for the single Rajya Sabha seat. In that scenario, Uddhav’s path to the Council becomes smoother, as the "sacrifice" would be seen as a gesture to the alliance patriarch rather than a surrender to the Congress. However, if Pawar steps back, the Congress will aggressively stake a claim to the Rajya Sabha seat, forcing Uddhav to make the hard trade.


As negotiations heat up, the question on every Shiv Sainik’s mind is clear: Will the "Tiger" have to shrink his territory in Delhi to protect his den in Mumbai? The coming weeks will test not just the unity of the MVA, but Uddhav Thackeray’s ability to navigate the politics of compromise.

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