Hyderabad — All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his Independence Day address, terming it a “great insult” to India’s freedom struggle.
Speaking at a press conference, Owaisi argued that the RSS never participated in the fight against colonial rule and accused the organisation of opposing the inclusive nationalism that guided India’s independence movement.
“Prime Minister praising the RSS in his Independence Day speech is a great insult to our freedom struggle because the RSS never participated in it. They remained in the shadows of the British and even hated freedom fighters more than the British themselves, including Gandhi. RSS has always opposed the inclusive nationalism on which our independence was achieved,” Owaisi said.
‘Hindutva Against Constitution’
Owaisi further contended that the RSS’s Hindutva ideology is incompatible with the Indian Constitution. While noting that Modi’s past visits to RSS headquarters were unsurprising given his background as a “lifetime swayamsevak,” Owaisi said it was wrong for the Prime Minister, in his official capacity, to endorse an organisation he claimed “spreads hatred.”
“The Non-Cooperation Movement, Satyagraha, protests against the Rowlatt Act, Civil Disobedience, Quit India Movement, the Naval Mutiny — can you find RSS anywhere in these struggles?” he asked.
Referring to Syama Prasad Mookerjee of the Hindu Mahasabha, Owaisi added that the RSS’s oath speaks only to the religion, culture, and society of a single community. “When Mookerjee was a minister in Bengal in 1941 under Fazlul Huq, the latter had already moved the Pakistan Resolution in Lahore. Yet today, the Prime Minister hails them,” he said.
On Partition and China
The AIMIM chief also rejected claims that Muslims were responsible for Partition, calling it a “historical distortion.” He urged the NCERT to include Shamsul Islam’s book Muslims Against Partition in its curriculum to counter the narrative.
“At that time, barely 2–3% of Muslims had voting rights. How could they have decided Partition? Those who fled left; those who were loyal stayed. To blame Muslims today is a falsehood repeated for political gain,” he said.
Owaisi also raised concerns about national security, accusing the government of failing to address Chinese incursions. “We face danger from China. We have lost 25 patrolling points, and yet the government refuses to confront this reality,” he remarked.
Modi’s Red Fort Address
Prime Minister Modi, in his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday, hailed the RSS for completing 100 years of service, describing it as the “biggest NGO in the world” and commending its century-long contribution to nation-building.
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