Kalaburagi: Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi in his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for completing 100 years of service to the nation, describing it as the "biggest NGO in the world" and praising its century-long contribution towards nation-building.
Reacting to the Prime Minister's praise for the RSS, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK ShivKumar said, RSS does not have a history and is a newly born organisation.
"RSS doesn't have any history. The Congress party has a longer history in this country. We all know that they (RSS) could not hoist the national flag for a long time, and Vajpayee ji took an initiative on this issue. It is their party agenda and I don't want to comment on it now," Shivkumar said
Recalling the 1975 Emergency imposed by then PM Indira Gandhi, PM Modi said, “50 years ago, India’s Constitution was strangled and backstabbed."
Reacting to which, Shivkumar said, "The Congress party has always protected the Constitution and the country."
"Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," PM Modi said.
Meanwhile, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat marked the 79th Independence Day by hoisting the tricolour at Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti. Addressing the gathering, Bhagwat described India as a "unique country" with a mission to bring "peace and happiness to the world" and share its Dharma globally.
