Digvijaya Singh’s Praise for BJP-RSS Sparks Political Debate

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh has triggered a fresh political controversy after publicly praising the organisational strength of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a move that sharply departs from the Congress party’s usual stance.

Singh shared a black-and-white photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the 1990s, drawing attention to what he described as the ability of the Sangh-BJP ecosystem to nurture grassroots workers into top leadership roles. The image shows a young Modi seated on the floor beside senior BJP leader L.K. Advani at a public event in Gujarat, believed to be the swearing-in ceremony of former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela in 1996.

Referring to the photograph, Singh said it exemplified the “power of organisation,” noting how ordinary workers within the RSS and BJP could rise through the ranks to become chief ministers and even prime ministers. His remarks quickly attracted attention, given the Congress’s long-standing criticism of both the BJP and the RSS.

The timing of the post has added to the intrigue, coming as the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meets in Delhi. During the meeting, Singh reportedly remarked that the Congress had become overly centralised and needed to reconnect with its grassroots.

BJP Seizes the Moment

The BJP was quick to capitalise on Singh’s comments. Party spokesperson C.R. Kesavan used the post to criticise the Congress leadership, alleging that it exposed the party’s “autocratic and undemocratic” functioning. Another BJP spokesperson, Pradip Bhandari, described the episode as evidence of internal dissent within the Congress, claiming it reflected organisational decline under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.

Responding to the controversy, Digvijaya Singh clarified that his remarks were limited to acknowledging organisational discipline and growth. “I have only praised the organisation. I have always opposed the RSS and Prime Minister Modi, and I continue to oppose their policies,” he said.

In his post on X, Singh described the photograph as striking, highlighting how committed workers who once sat at the feet of senior leaders could go on to occupy the nation’s highest offices. He concluded the message with the slogan “Jai Siya Ram” and tagged the official Congress handles, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra—an act widely interpreted as a pointed message to the party leadership.

The episode has reignited debate over internal introspection within the Congress and provided fresh ammunition to its political rivals.