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Digvijaya Singh's RSS praise: Congress leader's comment, controversy, and clarification
Digvijaya Singh kicked up a row after sharing an old photo of PM Modi with LK Advani, praising the organisational strengths of the BJP and RSS.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is in the middle of a controversy after he praised the BJP and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for their organisational strengths, sharing an old photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani on his X account on Saturday.
The remarks come ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that decided on its agitational plan against the scrapping of MGNREGA from January 5.
As Singh tagged senior Congress functionaries, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Priyanka Gandhi, the post was seen as an indirect jibe at the grand old party following his earlier call for reforms and decentralisation of functioning within the Congress.
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"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," Singh wrote in the post on X in Hindi. The undated black and white photograph shows PM Modi, former BJP chief LK Advani, along with several others attending a public rally.
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Earlier, Singh, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, had called for reforms within the Congress saying the party needs “more pragmatic decentralised functioning.” “I am sure you would do it because I know you can do it. Only problem is that it is not easy to “Convince” you!!,” the senior leader had said.
Singh's praise for RSS and BJP's organisational strengths drew a strong reaction from Congress's Pawan Khera. “There's nothing to learn from the RSS. What can an organisation known for Godse teach an organisation founded by Gandhi?” Khera was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Digvijaya Singh's clarification
After Singh's praise for the BJP and RSS created flutter, the Congress leader Singh said he remains firmly opposed to the ideology of the RSS but admires their organisational capacity.
“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. But I admire their organisational capacity 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,” he was quoted as saying by ANI news agency.
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He further claimed the lack of transparency in the organisation, stating, "If it is an NGO, then where are its rules and regulations? But still, I admire their organisational capacity."
“I am strongly opposed to the RSS ideology. Because they do not follow the Indian Constitution. RSS is an unregistered organisation, which does not fall under any law. And the way they spread hatred against minorities in our country... the way their organisation works, I am against it,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
He further said the the Congress could learn from the RSS' organisational capabilities. "Definitely. The power of the organisation is such that they can go from house to house and sell a comb to a bald person. They are so clever in this way. We need the same type of commitment from Congress workers," he said.
BJP backs Digvijaya Singh
The BJP was quick to use Singh's post to take potshots at the Congress with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar saying the Congress is just limited to one family.
“Digvijaya Singh understood the strength of an organisation right now, but the Congress has still not realised it. Congress disrespects the Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge every day. Congress is just limited to one family. In Congress, only members of one family have rights to make decisions within the party. A person who is working for the betterment of an organisation must be recognised and given opportunities to grow, a quality missing in Congress,” Javadekar was quoted as saying by ANI.
Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, Sudhanshu Trivedi invoked former US president Barack Obama, who the BJP MP claimed, "wrote in his book "The Promised Land," in Chapter 24, wrote 'Rahul Gandhi has a nervous, uninformed quality about him as if he were a student who has done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher, but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject."
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Another BJP leader, CR Kesavan, said Digivjaya's post has exposed how Congress runs the party in a dictatorial manner and asked if Rahul Gandhi would show courage and react to the Congress leader's social media post.
As Singh continued to raise his issue of strengthening the organisation pressing for decentralisation, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also told him to stop as he wanted to hear out the other leaders at the meeting too and take their suggestions and views, the sources pointed out.
