Digvijaya Singh’s remarks praising the RSS triggered a massive political and exposed deep divisions within the Congress party.
File Photo: IANS
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who has been missing from the political limelight lately, made headlines with his remarks praising the organisational strength of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Singh Saturday shared a throwback photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting at the feet of BJP veteran LK Advani, highlighting the organisational strength of the RSS and how Modi rose from the grassroots to become first a Chief Minister and then the Prime Minister.
Advertisement
Advertisement
His remarks were quickly seized upon by the BJP, which targeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and claimed that there are two factions in the grand old party – one led by Gandhi and the other by his sister Priyanka Gandhi.
“Continuous attacks against the Rahul faction indicate a loss of confidence in him. One after another, Congress leaders are submitting no-confidence motions against Rahul,” said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.
He further stated that Digvijaya Singh’s remarks clearly suggests that Congress’ electoral defeat was due to organisational weaknesses rather than vote rigging.
“Overall, this appears to be a ‘Rahul Hatao’ campaign, reflecting a loss of confidence in Rahul,” he added.
How Congress leaders reacted to Digvijaya Singh’s remarks
His remarks triggered a massive row and exposed deep divisions within the Congress party. While some Congress leaders asserted that there is nothing to learn from the RSS, others defended Singh, arguing that there is no harm in learning from others.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said that there is absolutely nothing to learn from the RSS. “What can an organisation known for Godse teach an organisation founded by Gandhi?” he said.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore went a step ahead and equated RSS with a terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda.
“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? If you want to learn, learn from good people. There is the Congress party, which is 140 years old. The Congress brought people together. Mahatma Gandhi transformed the Congress party into a people’s movement. Should this organisation learn from those organisations of hatred?” Tagore asked.
However, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that there should be discipline in the Congress party.
“We have a history of 140 years, and we can learn a lot from it. We can learn from ourselves, too. Discipline is very important in any party,” Tharoor said. “Even I want our organisation to strengthen. There should be discipline in our organisation. Digvijaya Singh can speak for himself.”
Senior Congress leader TS Singh Deo defended Singh more openly and suggested that there was no harm in taking examples from another organisation to bring about changes.
“Ideology is one thing, and the way of working is another. You can be associated with many organisations. How you function within those organisations matters. Can you not take examples from another organisation and bring about some changes?” Deo said.
Digvijay Singh’s u-turn
Facing a backlash from his own party leaders – despite issuing a clarification – Digvijaya Singh took a sharp U-turn, shifting from praising the RSS for its organisational strength, to asserting that “there is nothing to learn from Godse’s assassins.”
“Whatever I wanted to say I have already said. Please understand one thing – I have been in the Congress party for 50 years, and I have fought these communal forces in the Assembly, Parliament and the organisation. I have always opposed the ideology of BJP-RSS, and I will keep fighting against them,” he told reporters on Sunday.
He further stated, “We have no need to learn anything from Godse’s assassins.”
Advertisement
