Has Congress Lost Its Mental Balance Over Digvijaya Singh's RSS Remarks?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Digvijaya Singh's comments have stirred political controversy.
- BJP claims Congress has lost its mental balance.
- The historical context of RSS interactions is being debated.
- Violence in Bangladesh raises concerns among Indian leaders.
- Internal divisions within Congress are becoming more apparent.
New Delhi, Dec 29 (NationPress) The Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has stirred up a storm after commending the BJP and its ideological roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In response, the BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla declared that the venerable party has "lost its mental balance".
This uproar began when Singh posted a historic black-and-white image on social media depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi seated on the ground, with BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani sitting in the background. Through this post, Singh recognized the influential role of the RSS in shaping leadership within its ranks.
While speaking to IANS, Poonawalla remarked, "The Congress party has lost its mental balance over Digvijaya Singh’s statement. The kind of comments made by Manickam Tagore about the RSS clearly reflect the ideological emptiness of the Congress. Manickam Tagore should be reminded that in cases like Afzal Guru, Yakub Memon, Burhan Wani, Batla House encounter, or Naxalites, the Congress sees martyrs and innocents, but when it comes to nationalist organisations, they see terrorists."
Poonawalla continued to scrutinize the Congress leadership’s historical actions and remarks.
“Did former President Pranab Mukherjee visit the headquarters of a terrorist organisation or a nationalist organisation? When Jawaharlal Nehru invited the RSS to participate in Republic Day celebrations, was it a terrorist organisation that he invited? Mahatma Gandhi had also praised the RSS. Is Manickam Tagore more intelligent than these leaders?” he stated to IANS.
He accused the Congress of adopting a stance that insults nationalist institutions and traditions as part of its identity.
“This is the same party that referred to ISIS as ‘Boko Haram,’ Sanatan Dharma as a ‘malaria disease,’ and the Sena as ‘sadak ka gunda.’ Insulting the Sena, Sanatan, and nationalist forces has become the Congress’ identity. Today, leaders like Manickam Tagore and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy oppose Digvijaya Singh’s statement, while Salman Khurshid supports him. This clearly shows that the Congress is divided,” Poonawalla added.
On the situation in Bangladesh, the BJP spokesperson expressed sorrow over the violence affecting not only Hindus but also Christians and members of Scheduled Castes.
“The Indian government has clearly condemned these incidents and stated its position,” he noted.
He also criticized the secular lobby for its silence on the violence in Bangladesh while being vocal about issues in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
“There are people who raise funds for Gaza but shut their eyes to Dhaka. Leaders like Digvijaya Singh, Rashid Alvi, Sam Pitroda, and Husain Dalwai compare India with Bangladesh, justify atrocities there, and claim such incidents occur because minorities are attacked in India. These are the same people who opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Their real face has now come to the fore,” he concluded.