Congress crisis deepens over Digvijaya Singh's RSS-BJP praise row
What's the story
The Indian National Congress is facing a debate after senior leader Digvijaya Singh praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a recent post, he shared a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting on the floor next to BJP veteran LK Advani. He highlighted that the BJP allows grassroots workers to rise through their ranks to top positions.
Clarification issued
Singh's clarification and Congress's stance
After the controversy, Singh clarified, "I have been in the Congress and fought the communal forces in the Assembly or Parliament. I oppose their (RSS and BJP) ideology," however, emphasizing that every organisation needs strengthening. He also reiterated his call for reforms and decentralization within Congress, tagging Rahul Gandhi in his post. The party has since issued a statement saying it does not subscribe to RSS ideology.
Twitter Post
Digvijaya Singh's clarification
#WATCH | Delhi | On his tweet sharing an old photo of veteran BJP leader LK Advani and PM Modi, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh says, "I've been saying this from the beginning: I am opposed to the ideology of the RSS. They neither respect the Constitution nor the country's laws,… pic.twitter.com/sDfyS3Ldwr
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2025
Leaders react
Congress leaders respond to Singh's remarks
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We may have less power, but our backbone is not weak. Whether we are in power or not, we do not seek votes in the name of religion," adding, "We believe in religion, but some have turned religion into politics." Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot also defended the party's unity, saying there are no differences within Congress. Supriya Shrinate added that there's no need for Congress to learn from the RSS.
Divergent opinions
Tharoor and Khurshid's contrasting views on RSS
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who was seated next to Singh at a recent event, said it is logical for an organization to have discipline and be strengthened. However, he didn't comment on the RSS-BJP issue. Veteran leader Salman Khurshid said Singh is "completely" with party leadership but praised Singh's influence while rejecting RSS ideology.
Defense offered
Patil defends Singh, criticizes media portrayal
On the other hand, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Rajni Patil, defended Singh, saying he hasn't said anything wrong and accused the media of twisting his statement. In his clarification, Singh also stated that there was nothing to learn from "Gandhi's killers," referring to Nathuram Godse, whose involvement with the RSS has been historically debated.