New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh Saturday took a U-turn on his praise for the BJP and RSS after a political row erupted over his statement.
He issued a clarification, saying his comments were misunderstood.
“I am a supporter of the organisation, but an opponent of the RSS and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. I have only praised the organisational strength of the RSS. I have always opposed the policies of the BJP and the RSS,” he told media persons here.
The clarification came after Singh shared a 1996 photograph of Prime Minister Modi with senior BJP leader L.K. Advani on X.
In the post, Singh praised the BJP and RSS for promoting grassroots workers to top leadership positions, alluding to PM Modi’s rise from an organisational role to Chief Minister and Prime Minister.
“I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impactful. The way grassroots swayamsevaks of the RSS and workers of the Jan Sangh become Chief Minister and Prime Minister reflects the power of organisation. Jai Siya Ram,” Singh had written.
The post sparked sharp reactions in political circles, especially as it coincided with a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi. Singh had tagged Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, fuelling speculation about an internal message to party leadership.
The photograph documents PM Modi’s early political journey in Gujarat and was reportedly taken during the 1996 swearing-in ceremony of former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela. It shows Advani seated on a chair, while PM Modi, then an organisational leader, is seen sitting on the floor nearby.
Reacting to the controversy, Congress MP Kumari Selja dismissed claims of praise for the BJP or RSS. “No one has praised anyone. Do not spread misleading information. Whatever is discussed in the meeting will be communicated officially,” she said, referring to the CWC meeting.
The episode comes days after Singh made another controversial remark on December 19, addressing Rahul Gandhi and calling for reforms within the Congress. Advocating a more decentralised and pragmatic party structure, Singh ended his post by saying, “Only problem is that it is not easy to ‘convince’ you.”
Seizing on the controversy, BJP spokesperson C.R. Kesavan demanded a response from Rahul Gandhi.
“Will Rahul Gandhi show courage and react to the shocking truth bomb dropped by Digvijaya Singh’s tweet, which exposes how the Congress first family runs the party in a dictatorial and undemocratic manner?” Kesavan said in a social media post.
IANS
