Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Hyderabad on Saturday, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has released a special rap song questioning the Congress leadership over the unfulfilled promises made to the people of Telangana.

Through the song, titled around the theme of welcoming Rahul Gandhi to Hyderabad, BRS raises questions over the Congress party’s six guarantees and its key election promises.

The rap specifically highlights the promise of implementing six guarantees within 100 days, the Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women, Rs 4,000 pensions and other assurances made by Congress before the Telangana Assembly elections in 2023.

The song also questions the government over the delay in fulfilling these commitments and asks Rahul Gandhi to explain the status of the promises made to Telangana.

Meanwhile, BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao took to social media to question Rahul Gandhi ahead of his visit to attend the Bharat Summit being organised by the Telangana government.

Rama Rao asked the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition why he did not visit Telangana when different sections of people were staging protests over the unfulfilled promises of the state government.

“You didn’t show up when students demanding jobs (that you promised) were being throttled & getting beaten up by Congress police. You were unperturbed when tribal women of Lagacharla were beaten, disrobed & molested for their lands. When Hydraa bulldozers were destroying homes of hardworking Telangana people- you were sleeping in Delhi. You had no time when over 10,000 trees were felled overnight, deers & peacocks, and a rich ecosystem was razed at Kancha Gachibowli HCU lands or when KBR park was being destroyed,” the BRS leader said in a post on ‘X’.

“You didn’t flinch when the Constitutional processes were being ridiculed & 10 BRS MLAs were being bought off to join Congress Women legislators’ sarees were pulled, beaten in front of the Assembly – did you have a word to offer Rahul? You couldn’t speak about farmer suicides, weaver suicides, journalists’ midnight arrests, crony capitalism, land grabbing….!!! Your own MLAs & ministers are openly speaking about brazen corruption,” he said.

“You chose silence when it mattered! NOW! You waltz in shamelessly for a propaganda stunt with ₹100 Cr Telangana people’s money. Where do you get off Rahul Gandhi,” asked Rama Rao.

BJP leader Ram Kadam on Friday criticised Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, over her remarks on Anna Hazare’s 2011 anti-corruption movement in her recently released memoir titled, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, saying it was unacceptable to question the integrity of a person who had fought for the implementation of the Lokpal without seeking political gains.

An excerpt from Sonia Gandhi’s memoir read, “A well-known activist from Maharashtra, Baburao ‘Anna’ (Marathi for ‘father’ or ‘elder brother’) Hazare, emerged as the figurehead of a movement that titled itself ‘India Against Corruption.’ Some of its prominent participants have stated since that it was covertly organised and supported by the BJP and RSS.”

The social activist himself also rubbished the claims. Hazare said, “This is wrong. I don’t have any connection with the BJP or RSS. I don’t participate in their programmes. My country is my priority.”

Kadam said Hazare’s nationwide movement had received widespread public support because its demand was justified and had compelled the government to accept the demands raised by the activist.

“In 2011, Anna Hazare launched a major nationwide movement demanding the implementation of the Lokpal. People supported his movement because his demand was justified. He was not seeking anything for himself but was fighting for the country. Was demanding a Lokpal wrong?” Kadam told media.

Taking exception to Sonia Gandhi’s criticism of Hazare and his movement in her book, Kadam questioned the basis of her remarks.

“Anna Hazare is an honest and respected individual who has served the country without seeking any political position or award. Criticising such a personality and making it appear that others were behind his movement is unacceptable,” he said.

Kadam maintained that the movement had been successful, pointing out that the government had to accept the demands raised by Hazare at the time.

The BJP leader also weighed in on the controversy over Bhojpuri songs being played at Mumbai railway stations during Chhath celebrations, asserting that Maharashtra’s linguistic identity and its tradition of respecting other languages could coexist.

“For Maharashtra, Marathi is the supreme language, and it will remain so till eternity. Having said that, this is also the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is the land that respects all languages,” Kadam said.

Describing Maharashtra’s cultural identity as multilingual, he noted that people speaking different languages had made Mumbai their home.

“The cultural image of Maharashtra is multilingual. People of all languages live in Mumbai,” he said.

Kadam also highlighted the significance of Chhath for migrant communities from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh living in Maharashtra, saying the festival was observed by millions of devotees.

“Chhath is celebrated by millions of devotees of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, who live in Maharashtra. One needs to understand that language can’t be made into a political tool to exert dominance,” he said.

Without naming any party, Kadam said political groups seeking to impose linguistic dominance had lost public support.

“This is the reason that the parties trying to push for dominance through language supremacy are nowhere to be found today,” he added.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday announced the extension of the ban on the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), headed by Dr Zakir Naik, as an “unlawful association” for another five years.

The Central government had declared the IRF as an “unlawful association” on November 15, 2021, under Sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967).

The Home Ministry has accused the IRF of indulging in activities, “which are prejudicial to the security of the country and have the potential of disturbing peace and communal harmony and disrupting the secular fabric of the country”.

In an official statement, the MHA said that the duration of the ban under Sub-section (1) of Section 6 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, shall cease on the 14th day of November, 2026.

It said that the Central government is of the opinion that the IRF and its members, particularly, the founder and President of the IRF, Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik alias Dr Zakir Naik, “has been encouraging and aiding its followers to promote or attempt to promote, on grounds of religion, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious communities and groups which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country on the basis”.

The grounds cited by the Ministry for the extension of the ban include the “objectionable and subversive” statements and speeches made by Zakir Naik.

According to the MHA, Naik has been promoting “enmity and hatred” amongst different religious groups and inspiring youths of a particular religion in India and abroad to commit “terrorist acts” through such speeches and statements.

The Centre has further accused Zakir Naik of making “radical statements and speeches” to millions of people worldwide through international satellite TV network, internet, print and social media.

The MHA also said that if the unlawful activities of the IRF are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the opportunity to continue its subversive activities and re-organise its activists who are still absconding, disrupt the secular fabric of the country by polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony, propagate anti-national sentiments, escalate secessionism by supporting militancy, and undertake activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

Therefore, the Central government said it was necessary to declare the IRF an unlawful association with immediate effect, the statement read.