Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh issued a clarification on Saturday regarding his recent remarks on the 'power of organisation', which he made alongside a vintage photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP stalwart LK Advani. Singh asserted that while he values strong organisational structures, his opposition to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and PM Modi remains unwavering.
Clarification Amidst Controversy
Addressing the criticism that erupted after his social media post, Singh stated that his comments had been misinterpreted. He told ANI that he supports the concept of organisation but is firmly against the RSS and Modi. "I support the organisation. I am against the RSS and Modi ji. You have misunderstood. I have praised 'sangathan'. I was, am, and will remain a staunch opponent of the RSS and Modi," Singh was quoted as saying. He questioned whether it was wrong to praise and strengthen an organisation.
The Trigger: A Nostalgic Photograph
The controversy began when Singh shared a black-and-white picture from the 1990s, sourced from Quora, on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The image depicted a young Narendra Modi, then a grassroots worker, sitting on the floor beside senior BJP leader LK Advani at an event in Gujarat.
In his post, Singh highlighted how an individual starting at the grassroots could rise through an organisation's ranks to become a Chief Minister and eventually the Prime Minister. He tagged several senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Jairam Ramesh, along with PM Modi and official Congress handles. "This is the power of the organisation," he wrote in his post, which also included the greeting 'Jai Siya Ram'.
BJP Seizes Opportunity to Attack Congress
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly capitalized on Singh's remarks to launch a sharp critique of the Congress party's internal functioning. BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan stated that Singh's comments exposed the "autocratic and undemocratic" style of the Congress leadership.
In a post on X, Kesavan directly challenged Rahul Gandhi, asking if he would react to what he called a "shocking Truth Bomb" dropped by Singh. He claimed the tweet revealed how the Congress party is run in a "dictatorial manner" by its first family.
This incident follows Singh's earlier appeal this month for the Congress party to adopt a more "decentralised" approach and embrace "Pragmatic Decentralised Functioning", adding context to the ongoing discussion about the party's internal structure.
