By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 4:59:11 pm

Bhagwat to outline roadmap for next century

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat will address thousands of volunteers and key political observers at Reshimbagh grounds in Nagpur tomorrow at 7.40 am on the occasion of Vijayadashami, formally concluding the organisation’s centenary-year celebrations. He is expected to deliver an ideological and operational blueprint intended to recalibrate Hindu society, counter ongoing opposition mobilisation across India, and outline internal organisational changes...

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Bhagwat to outline roadmap for next century

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat will address thousands of volunteers and key political observers at Reshimbagh grounds in Nagpur tomorrow at 7.40 am on the occasion of Vijayadashami, formally concluding the organisation’s centenary-year celebrations. He is expected to deliver an ideological and operational blueprint intended to recalibrate Hindu society, counter ongoing opposition mobilisation across India, and outline internal organisational changes through a wide-ranging policy address. The annual Vijayadashami address, historically the most definitive forum for the RSS chief to articulate the organisation’s stance on domestic policy, cultural objectives and global affairs, carries heightened significance this year. Marking the completion of 100 years since Dr K.B. Hedgewar founded the organisation on Vijayadashami in 1925, Bhagwat’s address is designed to chart the strategic framework for the RSS as it enters its second century. Over the past 12 months, Bhagwat has personally anchored a series of outreach programmes across four Indian metropolitan hubs and two global nerve centres in the United States and Europe, signalling an appetite to project ideological clarity and broaden the organisation’s institutional footprint beyond traditional shakhas. The address comes against the backdrop of sustained street agitations orchestrated by the Congress party and newly formed groups such as the CJP in the national capital and several states. These demonstrations, centred on unemployment, social justice rhetoric and institutional accountability, have explicitly targeted India’s youth demographic — a constituency that has historically formed the primary recruitment pipeline and ideological backbone of the Sangh. Political observers believe Bhagwat will offer an unyielding response to these attempts to disrupt governance and erode the social coalition, reflecting an unmistakable determination within the Sangh Parivar leadership to resist political attrition and mount an active counter-narrative. The diplomatic and constitutional significance of the event is underscored by the deliberate selection of guests. Former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai, Yaniv Revach, are attending as special invitees. Revach’s presence hints at possible remarks addressing global geopolitical realignment, the rise of civilisational conflicts, cross-border terrorism and national security challenges. Dhankhar’s attendance provides a platform to reaffirm constitutional patriotism and legislative stability at a juncture marked by sharp parliamentary confrontation. Equally consequential is the invitation extended to Sanjay Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of Dainik Jagran. For an organisation that has historically maintained a measured distance from mainstream media machinery, engaging with the leadership of India’s largest Hindi daily indicates an institutional shift towards proactive public communication. The gesture suggests that the Sangh recognises that narrative warfare in its next century requires strategic engagement with popular media platforms rather than a traditional reliance on insular organisational word of mouth. Beyond external ideological positions, the Nagpur gathering is expected to provide indicators of the structural transitions under way within the RSS. The organisation has been quietly restructuring its administrative echelons, revamping functional wings and adjusting internal deployment models in recent months. With additional leadership realignments slated across key tiers in the near future, Bhagwat’s speech is expected to define the organisational ethos for these generational handovers, emphasising flexibility in outreach while preserving core organisational discipline. As dawn breaks over Reshimbagh, the address will serve both as a balance sheet of a century-old journey and as a declaration of intent for an increasingly combative political era.

Tiger Shroff attack: 3 nabbed from Rajasthan

Quaid Najmi

1 hour ago

4 min read

Police confirmed that the trio had conducted multiple recce visits to Shroff’s Bandra residence

Mumbai: In an inter-state operation that lasted barely 15 hours and involved the use of technological intelligence, three suspects were detained by the Rajasthan Police and subsequently taken into custody by the Mumbai Police in connection with the shooting targeting Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in the upmarket Juhu area late on Sunday evening, officials said on Monday.

The trio was apprehended by Rajasthan Police teams lying in wait for them in Kota when the Pune–Jaipur Superfast Express arrived at around 10.17 am, according to Kota Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam.

The suspects have been identified as Phool Singh and Rehan alias Sukka, both 18 and from Sonipat in Haryana, and Hritik Kurmi alias Roshan, 22, from Begusarai in Bihar, who works as a rider and currently lives in Andheri West, the police said.

Gautam said the suspects were intercepted by the Kota Police in a swift operation and later revealed that they planned to escape to Nepal via Jaipur and New Delhi.

Mumbai Crime Branch DCP (Detection) Raj Tilak Roshan said that 20 special teams had swung into action and, using technological intelligence, successfully tracked the trio’s movements before alerting the Kota Police.

Gautam added that Rehan was reportedly in contact with their handler, Anil Pandit, who had claimed to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and had taken responsibility for the firing at Shroff in an unverified social media statement posted on Sunday night.

Minutes after the shooting, the trio fled on their motorcycle from the crowded Pushpa Narsee Park to Andheri station, where they abandoned the two-wheeler. The Mumbai Police seized the motorcycle on Monday, along with Shroff’s BMW car, as part of the investigation.

They boarded a suburban train to Borivali, hoping to disappear into the crowds of commuters. From Borivali, they took another train to Surat, where they boarded the Pune–Jaipur Superfast Express, which arrived in Kota at around 10.17 am on Monday.

Acting on intelligence alerts about the suspects’ movements shared by the Mumbai Police, Gautam organised several special teams, including personnel from the Anti-Gangster Task Force and the Railway Protection Force. The train was thoroughly searched as soon as it reached Kota at 10.17 am on Monday.

The trio were caught in an unreserved coach and taken to the SP’s office for preliminary questioning. No weapons were recovered from them. A Mumbai Police team rushed to Kota later in the day and took the suspects into its custody.

The suspects told the Rajasthan Police that, after “executing” the crime in Mumbai, they had planned to take a bus from Jaipur to Delhi and then cross the border into Nepal, Gautam said.

As part of its multi-pronged investigation, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch has registered a case of attempt to murder against unknown persons. The police also confirmed that the trio had conducted multiple recce visits to Shroff’s Bandra residence, based on footage from local CCTV cameras.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the media that he had spoken to Shroff and reiterated that the incident was being taken very seriously and that no efforts would be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Late on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Shroff, 36, to enquire about his well-being and assured him that the government stood firmly behind him and would ensure full protection for his family. Later, Shinde told the media that the police would respond mercilessly, saying, “Tit for tat, bullet for bullet.”

Shortly after the sensational shooting, in which four to five rounds were fired at Shroff’s car, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the attack and issued further threats against the actor’s family. The city police have stepped up security around Shroff’s Bandra residence, as well as actor Salman Khan’s home.

Jackie-dada breaks down after attack on Tiger

Borivali-based realtor Nitin Sunderji Shah called Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff late on Sunday as he was boarding a flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai.

“He was absolutely stunned, speechless and crying inconsolably … but was relieved that Tiger emerged unscathed. My 91-year-old mother, Jayaben, who treats Jackie and Tiger as her own kids, has started ‘jaap’ from last night for the family,” Shah told The Perfect Voice. Late on Sunday night, Shah shared a digital copy of that day’s edition as it went to print, which Jackie gratefully acknowledged.

Although Tiger is particular about what he eats outside and is health-conscious, he nevertheless relishes the delicious desi ghee sweetmeats prepared by Jayaben, Shah said proudly.

Injured bystander hemodynamically stable, being treated at KEM Hospital

Mumbai: A bystander identified as Umesh Chauhan, who sustained a bullet injury when assailants opened fire at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai, is currently “haemodynamically stable” and under close medical observation, KEM Hospital authorities said on Monday.

Chauhan was present outside Pushpa Park in Juhu on Sunday night when shots were fired at the actor’s car, a police official said.

He received initial treatment and was stabilised at Cooper Hospital in Juhu before being transferred to the civic-run KEM Hospital around midnight for specialist care and further evaluation, the official added.

According to a medical bulletin released by the hospital, the bullet injury has not affected his heart or lungs.

“He is currently haemodynamically stable and is receiving treatment in the Emergency ICU under the Department of General Surgery, with consultation from the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (CVTS) team,” an official statement said.

Haemodynamically stable means that a patient has steady blood flow and consistent vital signs — specifically, a stable heart rate and blood pressure — that adequately supply oxygen and nutrients to the body’s vital organs.

In view of his stable vital parameters, doctors are managing his condition conservatively under close clinical monitoring.

Hospital authorities added that further imaging and specialist assessments would guide the subsequent course of treatment based on his clinical progress.