News18.com Daybreak : Pranab's Speech at RSS HQ, Rajini's Kaala Release & Stories You May Have Missed

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Political lessons: Nationalism, patriotism, tolerance and secularism formed the crux of former President Pranab Mukherjee’s address at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on Thursday as the veteran Congress leader impressed upon the right wing organisation’s cadre the need to maintain communal harmony and pluralism.

‘Sangh is Sangh’: Dismissing speculation over the RSS extending an invitation to career Congressman Pranab Mukherjee to speak for the right wing outfit’s event, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that it was traditionally part of history for the RSS to invite distinguished individuals from various walks of life to speak at their ‘Tritiya Varsh Varg’ event. The RSS honcho thanked Mukherjee for sharing his knowledge but also maintained that “Sangh is Sangh, Pranab is Pranab”.

Change of heart: After receiving backlash from several Congress leaders who objected to his decision to speak at the Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, Mukherjee’s speech was met with praise from the Congress. At a press conference called soon after Mukherjee’s address ended, the Congress said that Pranab’s speech has ‘shown a mirror’ to the RSS. Congress, which launched a barrage of tweets attacking the Sangh, just minutes before the speeh, asked if the RSS and the BJP would change their "character, orientation and thought process" after accepting the advice of the former President.

Sobering advice: Following Mukherjee’s historic speech, the CPI(M) said on Thursday that though they appreciated Mukherjee’s speech for mentioning pluralistic and composite society as true India, the former President would have "done well" to remind the Sangh of its own history.

Living props: Assam Congress came under criticism after it allegedly forced an 8-year-old girl to take part in a protest rally organised by the party against fuel price hike in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Wednesday. The incident triggered angry reactions from different groups including the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights as well as students’ organisations. The child’s mother, who is a member of the Congress’s women’s wing in Lakhimpur, was detained after police took suo moto action in the case.

Ticking time-bomb: Mumbaikars woke up to heavy rains and waterlogged roads on Thursday morning, giving a glimpse of the situation that could arise over the weekend. The MeT department has predicted "heavy to very heavy rainfall" along the Maharashtra coast as monsoon will arrive in Mumbai in the next 48 to 72 hours.

U-Turn: Under fire for its proposal to enforce a three-decade-old rule to penalise passengers for carrying excess baggage, Indian Railways has shelved the plan. It said on Thursday that its earlier announcement was meant only to generate awareness among travelers. The national transporter had launched a six-day drive from June 1 to check for excess baggage but the decision to strictly enforce the rule to fine passengers up to six times the stipulated luggage weight had led to widespread criticism with people taking to social media to denounce the move.

Top Priority: After playing a vital role in BJP's defeat in the recent Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls, Dalit outfit Bhim Army said on Thursday that defeating BJP and RSS in 2019 general election will be its top agenda. The organisation has seen swift advancement across western UP. However the arrest of its founder Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ after the 2017 Saharanpur violence has put a dampener on the party’s plans in the past year.

Good tidings: Traditional alliance partners Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP found comfort in each other during party national president Amit Shah’s visit to the ‘City Beautiful’ on Thursday. Not only did Shah receive a warm reception from the Akali Dal but also assurance that their poll partnership will see them through in 2019.

Poll goals: The war of words between the Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia continued for the second day. After the CM accused Bhutiya of ignoring young footballers of the state, the former footballer swiftly sought a counter attack, claiming the CM is ‘ignorant’ about professional sports. Bhutiya, who is the senior vice president of ‘Hamro Sikkim Party’ (HSP) also sought credit for having recommended many footballers from Sikkim to play for clubs outside the state.

Politics vs Films: Superstar Rajinikanth’s latest release Kaala has opened to an underwhelming response. It is one of the lowest-recorded openings in recent times for a Rajinikanth starrer film. What gave this time? Read to find out.

QUAD-core: India, Australia, Japan and the United States of America met in Singapore on Thursday on the sidelines of the ASEAN-centred meet the country is hosting this week. The four-nation coalition, known as QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) held discussions over various ways to enhance connectivity and strengthen regional security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Agree or Disagree? 

The Non-initiation of Combat Operations (NICO) by security forces, announced prior to the Ramzan period, is currently a hotly debated issue. There is no doubt that the ceasefire (as the NICO is commonly called) is fragile, if only due to the fact that it is one-sided. All the terrorist groups have rejected it and one major terror strike could completely wipe out all the perceived success. However, Lt Gen (Retd) DS Hooda’s explains how the ceasefire has been a major initiative by the government and has immense potential.

Pranab Mukherjee comes from a generation of politicians who understood the importance of having a conversation. The rigid stance of the Congress vis-a-vis the RSS is a post-Mandir and post-Mandal phenomenon. The intense competition for minority votes with the socialists and their offshoots from the late 1980s onwards pushed the Congress to a hard-Left stance. Senior journalist Bhavdeep Kang explains how the Congress leadership could learn a thing or two about democratic principles, liberalism and pragmatism from the sagacious former President and how in politics, as in business, no one is an untouchable, regardless of ideology.