On Vijayadashami 2014 (3 October 2014), Mohan Bhagwat gave the annual address at the gathering in Reshimbagh, Nagpur, where the chief guest was Dada J. P. Vaswani (message read). This page summarises what was reported about it.
The day
- Date: 3 October 2014
- Place: Reshimbagh, Nagpur
- Address by: Mohan Bhagwat
- Chief guest: Dada J. P. Vaswani (Sadhu Vaswani Mission) - absent through ill health; his message was played
What the address covered
The first address after the Modi government took office. Bhagwat said the government was moving in the right direction on security, the economy and foreign relations but needed more time, since nobody had a 'magic wand'. He warned that political power alone could not transform society. The Tribune reported that he called illegal migration from Bangladesh into Assam, West Bengal and Bihar a danger to local Hindus, pressed for a complete ban on cow slaughter and meat exports, urged people to stop buying Chinese goods, and voiced concern about rising 'jihadi' activity in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He also congratulated the scientists behind the Mars Orbiter Mission.
As reported
Nobody has a magic wand by which all problems of many years will disappear.
There is a serious upsurge in the jehadi activities in the southern parts of the country, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Context
Doordarshan carried the speech live for the first time, about an hour long. Congress (Sanjay Jha, Sandeep Dikshit, Abhishek Manu Singhvi), the CPI(M) (Sitaram Yechury and the Polit Bureau) and the SP (Naresh Agrawal) accused the government of misusing the public broadcaster. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said DD decided independently because the event was newsworthy. Prime Minister Modi defended the speech as raising 'very relevant' issues. The RSS said more than ten private channels had also covered it.
How sure is this?
This account is supported by two or more independent sources, listed below.
In the archive
Sources & copyright status
- The Tribune, 'With RSS chief speech, DD sparks controversy' (4 Oct 2014)
- Newslaundry, 'What Made DD Air Mohan Bhagwat's Speech?' (3 Oct 2014)
- The News Minute, 'Will RSS chief's speech on DD become annual feature, asks Congress' (Oct 2014)
- Organiser, 'Vijayadashami Speech' (4 Oct 2014)
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright. Quotations are short extracts as reported in the sources cited; speeches are summarised in our own words.
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