Kharge reiterates demand to ban RSS, cites Patel's 1948 letter; BJP hits back accusing Congress of hypocrisy
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has renewed his call to ban the RSS, citing Sardar Patel's earlier decision to curb its activities and blaming the organisation for law and order issues. The BJP hit back, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy and exploiting Patel’s legacy for political gain.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday reiterated his long-standing demand that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) should be banned in the country. He argued that even Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had once prohibited government employees from participating in RSS activities. "It is my personal opinion, it should be done," Kharge said, referring to his belief that most law and order issues in India stem from the BJP-RSS nexus. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kharge pointed out that the ban imposed during Patel’s tenure was lifted by the BJP government in 2024 and asserted that it must be reinstated.
Kharge cites Patel's letter linking RSS to Gandhi's assassination
The Congress chief referred to a letter written by Sardar Patel to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, in which the then Home Minister had said the RSS had created an atmosphere that led to the tragedy of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Kharge accused the BJP of distorting history by portraying a rift between India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. "They always tried to portray a rift between Nehru and Patel when they had great ties and both had praised each other," Kharge remarked.
The Congress leader also highlighted that October 31 marks the birth anniversary of Patel and the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "These two great leaders - Iron Man' and 'Iron Lady' - made a big contribution to the country and strived to maintain unity. This is the history of the Congress and its contribution," he said.
BJP hits back, accuses Congress of hypocrisy
The BJP sharply countered Kharge's remarks and accused the Congress of using Patel's name for political mileage. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress had ignored Patel's legacy for decades and is now invoking him to attack the RSS. "INC is not the Indian National Congress. It stands for Indian Nazi Congress. Despite all their conspiracies, the court lifted the ban on the RSS. They said RSS was a non-political organisation and government employees can take part in their activities. But the Congress is so intolerant that they stand with the rioters of PFI, SDPI, and MIM but spew venom against RSS, which is working for the country's welfare," Poonawalla said.
It should be noted here that Kharge's comments came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that Sardar Patel wanted to fully integrate Kashmir with India, but then Prime Minister Nehru did not allow it.
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