Congress Leader Praises RSS Organisational Strength Amid Controversy

NEW DELHI: In a surprising move, Digvijaya Singh, a prominent figure in the Indian National Congress, has publicly acknowledged the organisational capabilities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a group historically opposed by his party. The comments were made during a social media post featuring a black-and-white photograph depicting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a grassroots worker alongside veteran politician Lal Krishna Advani.

Singh shared the image on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting Modi's journey from an RSS volunteer to the Prime Minister of India. He remarked, "I found this image on the Quora site. It’s very impressive. How an RSS grassroots swayamsevak and Jan Sangh @BJP4India worker sat on the floor at the feet of leaders and became the state’s Chief Minister and the country’s Prime Minister. This is the power of the organisation."

However, Singh later clarified his statements, asserting that while he appreciates the concept of organisational strength, he remains opposed to the RSS and Modi. He stated, "I support the organisation. I am against the RSS and Modi ji... You have misunderstood... I have praised 'sangathan'. I was, am, and will remain a staunch opponent of the RSS and Modi... Is it a bad thing to strengthen and praise the organisation?"

The remarks prompted responses from members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Gaurav Vallabh, who previously belonged to the Congress. Vallabh seized the opportunity to criticise the Congress party, describing it as a "family-owned company". He highlighted Singh's comments as indicative of a lack of democratic processes within Congress, where he claims that only those connected to prominent families can ascend to leadership roles.

Vallabh stated to the news agency ANI, "Digvijay Singh is saying that the Congress party has today become a 'family-owned company' where only the person born into that family can make all the decisions... No other person can rise in the Congress party... A person cannot become a public representative just because his grandfathers or great-grandfathers held various positions... Digvijay Singh is saying that all decisions of the Congress are taken by the Gandhi family members... I had said the same thing while resigning from the Congress party."

Earlier in the week, Singh had also expressed support for Rahul Gandhi, praising his approach to socio-economic issues and suggesting that the Congress party requires internal reforms. He drew parallels between Gandhi’s advocacy for reforms in the Election Commission and the need for similar changes within the Congress.

In another post on X, Singh wrote, "Rahul ji you are absolutely ‘Bang On’ in matters of Socio-Economic Issues. Full Marks. But now please look at Congress also. Like the Election Commission needs reforms, so does the Indian National Congress. You have started with 'संघटन सृजन' But we need more Pragmatic Decentralised Functioning." Singh expressed optimism about Gandhi's potential to implement these changes but acknowledged the challenges in persuading him to do so.