Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh triggered a political storm after praising the organisational capacity of the RSS and the BJP. His comments drew strong reactions from the ruling party and his own colleagues.
Soon after, the BJP targeted Rahul Gandhi. At the same time, Congress leaders rejected any comparison with the RSS and criticised its ideology.
How the Issue Started
The controversy began on December 27. Digvijaya Singh shared an old black-and-white photograph from the 1990s on Quora. The image showed a young Narendra Modi sitting on the floor beside senior BJP leader LK Advani at an event in Gujarat.
Later, Singh posted the picture on X. He wrote, “I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots swayamsevak of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country? This is the power of the organisation. Jai Siya Ram.”
He also tagged senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Priyanka Gandhi.
https://twitter.com/digvijaya_28/status/2004769895092027472
BJP Uses Post to Attack Congress
Soon after the post went viral, the BJP responded strongly. Party leaders accused the Congress leadership of running the party in an authoritarian manner.
BJP leader CR Kesavan said the post had “totally exposed how the Congress first family ruthlessly runs the party in a dictatorial manner and also how autocratic and undemocratic this Congress leadership is”.
Congress Leaders Push Back
Congress leaders quickly rejected Singh’s remarks. They said the party has nothing to learn from the RSS.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera told ANI, “There’s nothing to learn from the RSS. What can an organisation known for Godse teach an organisation founded by Gandhi?”
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate accused the BJP of misrepresentation. She said, “BJP presents statements by twisting and distorting them. We have no need to learn anything from an organisation like the RSS.”
She added, “We are the Indian National Congress. We fought the freedom struggle against British rule, its injustice and its exploitation, and turned it into a mass movement." She further added, "We do not need to learn anything from anyone. People should learn from us.”
Congress leader Salman Khurshid also rejected the comparison. He said, “We don’t have anything to learn from them. We oppose their (RSS) ideology.”
Shashi Tharoor Calls for Discipline
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor spoke about the need for internal reform. He stressed discipline and organisational strength. He said, "Even I want our organisation to strengthen. There should be discipline in our organisation. Digvijaya Singh can speak for himself..."
Digvijaya Singh Clarifies His Stand
After facing backlash, Digvijaya Singh clarified his position. He said people misunderstood his remarks. He also said he strongly opposes the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Digvijaya told ANI, “I’ve been saying this from the beginning. I am opposed to the ideology of the RSS. They neither respect the Constitution nor the country’s laws, and it is an unregistered organisation,"
However, he said he respects their organisational ability. He added that he admires it "because an organisation that isn’t even registered has become so powerful that the Prime Minister says from the Red Fort that it is the world’s largest NGO.”
Congress Must Do Better in Elections
Singh also said every organisation must improve. He said the Congress remains a movement-based party but struggles during elections.
He said, “The Congress party is fundamentally a party of a movement. I have said this many times that the Congress party is and should remain a party of a movement. But converting that movement into votes, that’s where we fall short,"