Kumar Bahukhandi
Digvijay Singh at a Congress Working Committee meeting. (Photo – PTI)
Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s praise of the RSS’s organizational strength has sparked infighting within the party. Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate have completely rejected the idea of learning anything from the RSS, while TS Singh Deo has justified learning from them, citing the difference between working style and ideology.
Differences have emerged within the Congress party after senior leader Digvijay Singh praised the organisational strength of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Some leaders are strongly opposing his statement and refusing to learn anything from the RSS, while others are citing it as an example of learning from working style despite ideological differences. The Congress has also accused the BJP of distorting the party’s statements on this issue.
Following the senior Congress leader’s statement, questions are being raised about the party’s ideological unity and strategic approach. On one hand, leaders like Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate are completely rejecting the RSS, while leaders like TS Singh Deo and Shashi Tharoor are advocating learning from the RSS’s working style for improvement. This controversy has raised questions about the Congress’s ideological unity and strategic approach.
Digvijay Singh recently praised the organizational strength of the RSS. He shared an old picture of PM Modi on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impressive. How the grassroots volunteers of the RSS and the Jan Sangh worker became the Chief Minister of a state and the Prime Minister of the country by sitting at the feet of the leaders. This is the power of the organization. Jai Siya Ram.” However, he later explicitly rejected the RSS’s ideology.
‘No need to learn anything from the RSS’
Reacting to this, Congress leader Pawan Khera took a strong stance. He said, “There is nothing to learn from the RSS. What can an organization known for Godse teach an institution founded by Gandhi?” Khera’s remarks were directed at Nathuram Godse, who was convicted of assassinating Mahatma Gandhi and allegedly had ties to the RSS.
He emphasized that an institution like the Congress (founded by Gandhiji) does not need to learn anything from such an organization.
Statement twisted and misrepresented
Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate targeted the BJP. She said, “The BJP is twisting and misrepresenting his statements. We don’t need to learn anything from the RSS; we fought the freedom struggle against the British Raj and its injustices and transformed it into a mass movement, so we don’t need to learn anything from anyone; rather, people should learn from the Indian National Congress.”
Shrinate emphasized the historical role of the Congress, stating that the party took the freedom movement to the masses and fought against injustice, therefore there is no justification for learning from an organization like the RSS.
TS Singh defends Digvijay Singh
Meanwhile, another senior Congress leader, TS Singh Deo, defended Digvijay Singh. He said, “As far as I know about the RSS, Digvijay Singh has clearly stated that he completely rejects the RSS ideology. He does not agree with it, so there is no justification for interpreting his statement in the context of the RSS… Ideology is one thing and the way of working is another.”
He gave an example, saying, “You can be associated with many organisations. Can’t you make some changes by taking examples from other organizations? You don’t adopt their ideology. If Australia and India are playing a cricket match and we see how the other team is playing and we feel the need to improve ourselves, shouldn’t we do that? Their fast bowlers used to be very effective. Today we have a whole line of fast bowlers, so should we always rely on spin bowling? We need to learn not only from the RSS, but from anyone.”
Organization Must Be Strengthened: Shashi Tharoor
Besides TS Singh Deo, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor emphasized the importance of strengthening the party organization and supported Digvijay Singh amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding his recent remarks praising the organizational strength of the RSS and BJP. Speaking on the occasion of the Congress party’s 140th Foundation Day, and responding to questions about his conversation with Digvijay Singh, Tharoor said, “We are friends, and it’s natural for us to talk. The organization must be strengthened—there is no doubt about that.”
Calling the day significant for the party, Tharoor said, “This is a very important day for the party. This is the day when we reflect on our glorious history and the contributions of the Congress.”
