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RSS should be banned; PM Modi ‘insulting’ Patel’s legacy: Kharge

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1 month ago

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said that in his personal opinion the RSS should be banned as most law and order problems in the country are arising because of the BJP-RSS.

He also charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insulted the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by allowing government employees to be associated with the Sangh.

Kharge hit back at Prime Minister Modi after he attacked the party on Patel’s birth anniversary, and cited Patel’s remarks criticising the RSS following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

Responding to a question on banning the RSS again, Kharge said, “It is my personal opinion and I will say it openly, it should be done” as most of the issues and law and order problems are all arising because of the BJP-RSS.

He said what Patel put forth before us, the prime minister and Home Minister Amit Shah should pay heed to them.

Asked about government lifting the ban on government employees associating with the RSS, Kharge said when Patel himself banned the RSS, “then naturally he is disrespecting our Vallabhbhai Patel ji, who himself gave all the reasons why he banned the RSS and there is no ambiguity.”

The Congress chief said Patel wanted to bring in unity and peace and he fought for it.

“But after bringing unity in the country, anyone who tries to break that unity should be taught a lesson. And, you know who are those people who are breaking that unity,” he said.

Asked further if this would create an atmosphere of disunity, Kharge said, “I clearly feel that something which had ended, this government has revived that and these people will be responsible for whatever happens in the country”.

He said till 2024, nothing happened and now that it is not good for the country to once again “awaken the people”.

“This is not good for the country and it is like tasting poison, whose result is certain death. There is no need to taste poison once again. The things being done by Modi ji are not good for the country,” he said.

Noting that today is the birth anniversary of Patel and death anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, the Congress president said these two great leaders –“ “iron man” and “iron lady” — made a big contribution to the country and strived to maintain unity.

This is the history of the Congress and its contribution, Kharge said at a press conference here.

Kharge cited a letter written by Patel to Syama Prasad Mookerjee in which the then home minister said the RSS had created an atmosphere that led to the tragedy of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

They always tried to portray a rift between India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Patel when they had great ties and both had praised each other, Kharge said.

Nehru hailed Patel for shaping India’s unity and Patel called Nehru an ideal for the country.

Kharge recalled a letter written by Patel to Mukherjee on February 4, 1948, in which he said, “On Gandhiji’s death, the RSS members expressed such joy and distributed sweets, which further intensified the opposition. In these circumstances, the government had no choice but to take steps against the RSS.”

“While writing this letter to Mukherjee, he said — The report proves that the atmosphere created in the country due to the activities of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha is what led to Gandhiji’s assassination.”

Kharge’s remarks came after Prime Minister Modi said Sardar Patel wanted to unite the entire Kashmir, just as he did with other princely states, into India, but then PM Nehru did not allow it to happen.

Slamming the Congress, Modi said that the party inherited the slave mentality from the British who ruled India. The country is removing every trace of colonial mindset, he added.

Earlier on Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, Kharge paid him tributes and said he is a source of inspiration for them as he described him as “the great Iron Man of India” who wove the entire nation into the thread of unity and integrity.

“Pandit Nehru called him the ‘Architect of India’s unity’,” he said, adding that Patel was former Congress chief and the resolution on fundamental rights passed in the Karachi Congress under his leadership is the soul of the Indian Constitution.

“Sardar Patel Saheb resides in our hearts, and his ideas, which emphasise mutual harmony and brotherhood, are an inseparable part of the Congress party’s ideology,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi also paid rich tributes to the country’s first home minister.

“By weaving India into a single thread, he laid a strong foundation for the unity and integrity of the nation – his indomitable courage, foresight, and ideals will forever guide us,” Gandhi said.

Born in Nadiad, Gujarat, in 1875, Patel was a pivotal figure in India’s struggle for Independence. He died in 1950.

—PTI

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Centre caps airfares to curb surge amid IndiGo crisis

To protect passengers from soaring fares amid IndiGo’s operational crisis, the Centre has introduced temporary airfare caps and ordered expedited refunds for cancelled flights.

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1 day ago

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December 6, 2025

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As operational disruptions at IndiGo entered their fifth day, the Civil Aviation Ministry moved to prevent steep ticket price hikes by imposing fare caps across affected routes. The decision comes as hundreds of flights were cancelled, leaving passengers stranded at airports nationwide.

Ministry steps in to prevent “opportunistic pricing”

The ministry said it had taken note of unusually high fares being charged by some airlines during the ongoing travel disruption. Invoking regulatory powers, it ordered all carriers to follow newly prescribed fare caps until flight schedules stabilise.

According to the statement, the move aims to prevent any exploitation of travellers—especially senior citizens, students and those undertaking urgent medical travel—during the crisis. Airlines and online travel platforms will continue to be monitored through real-time fare data.

IndiGo told to clear refunds by Sunday evening

In a separate direction, the ministry asked IndiGo to ensure all refunds for cancelled or disrupted flights are processed by 8 pm on December 7. It also instructed airlines not to impose rescheduling fees for passengers whose plans were affected.

Hundreds of cancellations as pilot shortage triggers meltdown

IndiGo, which operates around 2,300 daily flights with a fleet of over 400 aircraft, has seen widespread cancellations due to a planning-related pilot shortage. Operational delays are expected to continue for several more days.

Scenes of severe inconvenience have unfolded at airports, with passengers reporting long waits, disrupted travel plans, and a lack of clarity from the airline.

IndiGo issues apology, promises gradual restoration

The airline apologised publicly, saying it understood the difficulties faced by passengers. IndiGo assured that refunds for cancelled flights would be processed automatically and added that full normalisation of domestic operations is likely between December 10 and 15, though recovery may take time due to the scale of disruption.

Minister claims crisis nearing resolution

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the situation is “on the verge of getting resolved”. He noted that major metro airports such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai had cleared most backlogs, and that IndiGo would resume operations with limited capacity before gradually increasing flights.

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Centre plans major crackdown on IndiGo amid mass cancellations

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1 day ago

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December 6, 2025

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The Centre is preparing strong action against IndiGo after widespread disruption triggered by the airline’s handling of new pilot rest rules, according to sources. With thousands of passengers stranded and over 500 flights cancelled on consecutive days, the government is now likely to seek the removal of CEO Pieter Elbers, alongside other stringent measures.

Government weighs removal of IndiGo CEO

Sources indicate that the airline may be asked to remove its chief executive following what officials view as poor management of revised duty and rest regulations for pilots. The developments led to severe operational breakdown across airports and sparked public outrage.

Heavy penalties and flight curbs under consideration

According to officials, an unprecedented crackdown is being prepared. This includes the possibility of a hefty financial penalty on the carrier, which commands nearly two-thirds of India’s domestic aviation market.

Authorities are also evaluating whether the number of flights permitted to IndiGo should be temporarily reduced, marking what could become the toughest action taken against any airline in recent years.

IndiGo representatives were summoned by the aviation ministry on Friday evening as the government sought explanations for the crisis and measures to restore order.

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Lok Sabha clears bill to levy cess on pan masala and similar goods for health, security funding

The Lok Sabha has passed a bill to impose a cess on pan masala manufacturing units, aiming to create a dedicated revenue source for public health and national security initiatives.

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2 days ago

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December 5, 2025

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Nirmala Sitharaman

The Lok Sabha has approved the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, paving the way for a new cess on pan masala manufacturing units. The legislation aims to generate dedicated funds for strengthening national security and improving public health, both areas identified as critical national priorities.

Bill aims to create predictable funding stream

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, responding to the debate before the bill was passed by voice vote, said that the cess will be shared with states because public health falls under the state list.

The new cess will be applied over and above the GST, based on production capacity and machinery used in units manufacturing pan masala and similar goods. The minister clarified that this cess will not affect GST revenue, and that pan masala already attracts the maximum GST slab of 40 per cent.

According to the bill text, the objective is to build a “dedicated and predictable resource stream” to support expenditure related to health and national security.

Sitharaman also mentioned that cess collection as a percentage of gross total revenue currently stands at 6.1 per cent, lower than the 7 per cent average between 2010 and 2014.

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