K. N. Govindacharya | |
|---|---|
 K. N. Govindacharya | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1943-05-02)2 May 1943 (age 82) |
| Party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Bhartiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | None |
| Alma mater | Banaras Hindu University |
| Occupation | Social andpoliticalactivist |
Kodipakam Neelameghacharya Govindacharya (born 2 May 1943) is a founder Bharat Vikas Sangam, Kautilya International Foundation, Kautilya Shodh Sansthan, Rastriya Swabhiman Andolan and Forum for Ecocentric Development (Prakriti Kendrit Vikas Manch) FormallyRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak,environmental activist,social activist,political activist andthinker. He was associated withBharatiya Janata Party but is now a staunch critic of that party as much as he is a critic of theIndian National Congress.[1]
K. N. Govindacharya became a member of theBhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1988 and for a period until 2000 he served as its General Secretary.[2] He was forced to leave the BJP on the insistence of Prime MinisterVajpayee as he saidAdvani was calling the shots while the Prime Minister was just a mask.[3] He insisted that the statement had been wrongly attributed to him,[4] but Vajpayee, not impressed by the clarification, thought the damage to the party's image had been done, whether or not the quote was authentic.[5]
In 2019, he filed a petition inSupreme Court seeking registration of FIR and NIA investigation againstFacebook,WhatsApp andNSO Group for violating the privacy of Indian citizens.[6][7] But he withdrew his petition, after CJISharad Arvind Bobde cited mistakes in the petition.[8] In 2021, he again approached Supreme Court to revive his 2019 petition seeking court monitored investigation againstPegasus (spyware).[9][10]
Disturbed by growing instances of corruption in the Indian polity and corporate sector, and the police crackdown on followers ofRamdev on 5 June 2011,[11] a group of former journalists, student activists, child rights activists and social workers encouraged Govindacharya to form a grand alliance of 50 small and large political organisations from across the country on 25 June, the day remembered for the declaration and imposition ofEmergency, that year. He was elected chairman of the new alliance, known as the Save Democracy Front (SDF).[12][13]
Under the patronage of Govindacharya, the third National Convention ofBharat Vikas Sangam was held in Kalburgi (Gulbarga), Karnataka, from 23 December 2010 to 1 January 2011.[14]
K.N. Govindacharya is the chief patron of Eternal Hindu Foundation, who constantly works for the betterment of society. He was associated with social movements like JP Andolan, Ram Janma Bhumi Andolan, Bhartiya Sanskriti Utsav, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, etc. Govindacharya is also known for his environmental activism focused on eco-centric development. He is actively engaged in various social awareness initiatives like Shashwat Devalay, Sanatan Bhav Jagruti, ITIHASA & Shashwat Bharatam.[15]
The Himachal Swabhiman Party is apolitical party in theIndian state ofHimachal Pradesh. The party was founded by formerBJP ideologue Govindacharya on 10 August 2011.[16][17] Subhash Sharma, a former leader of employees' movements in the state, was appointed as the president of the party.[17][18]
Ahead of the2012 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the party was assigned 'television' as its election symbol by theElection Commission of India.[19] The party took part in discussions on the formation of aThird Front to contest the elections.[20] The Himachal Swabhiman Party fielded 16 candidates in the 2012 assembly election. None was elected, together they mustered to get 6,571 votes (0.19% of the votes in the state).[21]
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