Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's remark on BJP-RSS's organisational strength has continued to ruffle feathers within the Congress and evoking jibes from the saffron camp.
A day after Digvijaya shared an old photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP veteran LK Advani, lauding the party's strength, Congress leader Manickam Tagore has sparked row, equating RSS with Al-Qaeda.
Reacting to Digvijaya's remark, Tagore said RSS is an organisation built on hatred, even as he took a self-goal jibe at the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister.
Also Read: Shashi Tharoor backs Digvijaya Singh’s RSS-Congress comparison, says ‘there should be discipline’
"The RSS is an organisation built on hatred, and it spreads hatred. There is nothing to learn from hatred. Can you learn anything from Al-Qaeda? Al-Qaeda is an organisation of hatred. It hates others. What is there to learn from that organisation?" Manickam Tagore told ANI.
Earlier in the day, the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, shared a video of the "famous Self goal" in an apparent jibe at Digvijaya Singh, whose remark was widely seen against the party.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day, the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, shared a video of the "famous Self goal" in an apparent jibe at Digvijaya Singh, whose remark was widely seen against the party.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, Digvijaya shared an undated old photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, lauding the BJP and the RSS, for what he claimed, making an ordinary worker "a state’s chief minister and the country’s prime minister."
"I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impactful. It shows how an RSS grassroots volunteer and a Jan Sangh/BJP worker, who once sat on the floor at the feet of leaders, went on to become a state’s chief minister and the country’s prime minister. This is the power of organisation," Digvijaya's X post read.
Digvijaya's remark for BJP-RSS, suggesting for reforms within the Congress, has led to a divided response, with Shashi Tharoor backing him, and others like Pawan Khera saying “there is nothing to learn from RSS”.
BJP hits out at Manickam Tagore's remark
However, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took strong exception to Tagore's remark and said "Congress has now gone berserk in its thirst for vote-bank politics."
"After insulting Hindu, Sanatan, Sena, Bharat, now they are targeting a nationalistic organisation also... In an organisation that has been working for the last 100 years for national dedication and national service, they are saying that these are terrorists, but they have nothing to say about the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. They have placed votebank politics above everything else," Poonawalla said.
Congress leader backs Tagore
Congress leader Salman Khurshid backed Tagore's statement, questioning RSS' role as a social organisation.
"If they (RSS) are a social organisation, then why do they try to influence the system in such a way that other people cannot even function in a democracy?" Khurshid asked.
"We have this question and it is our resolve to expose this deception that they are perpetrating on the people of India, the message they are giving to the people of India. We want to put an end to it. We can respond to it and create an alternative, because our answer, our thinking, and our message are far better than theirs," he added.