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Digvijaya Singh clarifies after RSS remark: ‘Admire their organisational capacity, not ideology’
Singh had posted a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, calling it “impressive”.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has issued a clarification after his post on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sparked controversy, saying he had praised the organisation and not the ideology of the Sangh.
In a post on X earlier on Saturday, Singh posted a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The former was sitting on the floor in front of the latter. Singh said he had found the picture on Quora website, adding that it was “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,” Singh said.
He added that this was the “power of the organisation.” He further tagged the Indian National Congress, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MPs Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh, as well as PM Modi.
After Singh's remarks created a ripple, with the BJP using them to criticise the Congress, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister backtracked and clarified his post.
“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's an unregistered organisation,” Singh told ANI news agency. “
…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. If it's an NGO, then where have your rules and regulations gone?” the Rajya Sabha MP said. However, he said that he “admired” the Sangh's organisational capacity.
On the organisational capacity of Congress, Singh said there was “room for improvement.” “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…” Singh told ANI.
Why did Singh's remarks stoke controversy?
Singh's post was seen as an indirect jibe to the Congress party, with the Rajya Sabha MP having called for reforms within the party.
In a post on X more than a week ago, the former MP CM said, “@RahulGandhi ji you are absolutely “Bang On” in matters of Socio-Economic Issues. Full Marks. But now please look at @INCIndia also. Like @ECISVEEP needs Reforms, so Does Indian National Congress.”
While addressing Rahul, he called for “pragmatic decentralised functioning”. “I am sure you (Rahul Gandhi) would do it because I know you can do it. Only problem is that it is not easy to “Convince” you!!” he added.
