RSS Centenary Celebrations Live: PM Modi releases commemorative stamp, coin marking 100 years of RSS

Around 12 masked men armed with sticks assaulted two priests and looted more than Rs 3 lakh in cash from a church in Jharkhand’s Simdega district in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.

The incident took place at Tumdegi Parish under Simdega Mufassil police station limits in the district.

Simdega SP ruled out any religious motive behind the incident, saying it appeared to be a case of robbery.

A man evading arrest for 12 years after robbing employer of her jewellery in West Delhi's Kirti Nagar was arrested from Rajasthan, police said on Wednesday.

Gautam Yadav, 32, from Jamui district in Bihar, was declared a proclaimed offender and carried a reward of Rs 20,000 on his arrest, they said.

Yadav was apprehended from Jaipur on September 30.

According to the FIR registered at Kirti Nagar Police Station on March 8, 2013, Yadav, then employed as a servant, conspired with three of his associates to rob his employer when she was alone at home.

In its journey of dedication to the nation, it's not as if RSS has not been targeted, or been conspired against, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that even after Independence, efforts were made to crush Sangh.

"There were infinite conspiracies to prevent RSS from coming into the mainstream... Despite all the bans and conspiracies against the organisation, RSS never had any place for bitterness against anyone because we know, we are not different from society, but a part of it... RSS swayamsewaks have an unwavering faith in the constitutional institutions of the country," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that every Swayamsevak has unflinching trust in democracy and constitutional institutions. "When Emergency was imposed on the country then this trust gave strength to every Swayamsevak to struggle," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the centenary celebration event of the RSS, recalled 100 years journey of Sangh stating that it has been an extraordinary example of sacrifice, selfless service, nation-building and discipline.

Since its founding, RSS has focused on nation-building, the Prime Minister said, adding, "Our generation of 'swayamsevaks' is fortunate to witness centenary years of RSS."

Addressing the centenary celebrations of RSS in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Tomorrow is Vijayadashmi, a festival which symbolises the victory of good over evil, victory of justice over injustice, victory of truth over falsehoods, and victory of light over darkness... The establishment of RSS as an organisation on this great day 100 years ago, was no coincidence..."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has been hospitalised in Bengaluru, according to multiple reports. This came after he developed breathing issues, CNN-News18 reported.

Founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was established as a volunteer-based organisation with an aim to foster cultural awareness, discipline, service and social responsibility among citizens, according to a statement by PMO.

It said, "RSS is a unique people-nurtured movement for national reconstruction. Its rise has been seen as a response to centuries of foreign rule, with its continuing growth attributed to the emotional resonance of its vision of India's national glory, rooted in Dharma." A core emphasis of the Sangh is on patriotism and national character-formation, the statement said.

The centenary celebrations will not only honour the historical achievements of the RSS, but also highlight its enduring contributions to India’s cultural journey and its message of national unity, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a specially designed commemorative postage stamp and a coin highlighting the RSS' contribution to the nation at a programme in Delhi on Wednesday to mark the centenary celebrations of the Hindutva organisation.