Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Digvijaya Singh, ignited a fresh political controversy on a day when his party's top leadership was engaged in a crucial meeting in New Delhi. Singh took to social media to share a decades-old photograph showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi seated on the floor near the feet of BJP patriarch and former Union home minister, Lal Krishna Advani.
A Provocative Post During a Crucial Congress Meet
The timing of the post was significant, as it coincided with a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, at the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters. The CWC was convened to discuss the current political situation in the country. Notably, Digvijaya Singh himself was present at the AICC headquarters for this important gathering.
On his Facebook page, the Rajya Sabha MP posted a black-and-white image from 1996. The photograph captures the swearing-in ceremony of Shankarsinh Vaghela as the chief minister of Gujarat. In the frame, a young Narendra Modi, then a BJP karyakarta (worker), is seen sitting on the floor close to the feet of Advani, who is seated on a chair. Former Union minister Pramod Mahajan is also visible, seated on a chair in the second row.
The Message and the Immediate Backlash
Accompanying the image was a caption that read, "I found this photograph on the Quora site. It is very impressive. How an RSS grassroots volunteer and worker, sitting on the floor near the feet of Jana Sangh and BJP leaders, became the chief minister and then the Prime Minister of the country. This is the strength of the organisation. Jai Siya Ram (sic)."
Singh strategically tagged several key figures and entities in his post, including the Indian National Congress, its state units, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP Jairam Ramesh, and finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The act of tagging Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi was widely interpreted as a loaded political message directed at the party's high command.
Clarification and a Firm Stance
The post predictably set off political tremors, forcing Digvijaya Singh to address the media later in the day. Speaking to reporters outside the AICC headquarters, he offered a clarification, insisting his intention was not to express support for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"I am a supporter of the organisation and an opponent of the RSS and Modiji," he stated. He further explained, "You have misunderstood (the post). I have praised the organisation. I am the steadfast adversary of the RSS and Narendra Modi and will remain so. Whatever I said, I said in the CWC meeting. Is it a bad thing to speak and praise the organisation?"
This episode underscores the internal and external complexities within the Congress party. While Singh claimed to be highlighting organizational strength, the visual and textual narrative of a sitting Prime Minister in a humble position before an older BJP leader became an instant flashpoint, diverting attention from the official agenda of the CWC meeting.
