Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has come out in support of the Congress leadership amidst row over veteran party leader Digvijaya Singh's social media post on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the organisational structure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
A couple of days ago, former Madhya Pradesh CM Singh - a Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha - made an unusual praise to the RSS and PM Modi, citing how the 'grassroot workers' of the organisations can go so far in democracy.
"I found this picture on Quora. It is very impressive," Singh had said. "In the way the grassroots swayamsevaks (workers) of RSS and the workers of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country. This is the power of the organisation. Jai Siya Ram."
Reddy praises Sonia Gandhi's leadership
Amid this, Reddy has now come out in support of his party's leadership. "CONGRESS… A force for people of #India was born 140 years ago on this day. The story of the Indian National Congress is the story of Indian democracy in motion. When one reflects on the leadership of Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji, we find service, commitment, ethics and values," Reddy wrote on X.
"Under Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji’s leadership, it became possible for Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao garu, who started his public career from a remote village in Telangana, to rise to become Prime Minister of the country.
"Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji also made an economist like Dr Manmohan Singh Ji as the Prime Minister.
"From leading India’s freedom struggle to framing the Constitution, from building democratic institutions to uniting a diverse nation, the Indian National Congress has shaped every defining chapter of modern India," Reddy said on X.
Digvijaya clarifies his statement
Meanwhile, the former MP CM has clarified his statement praising the PM and the RSS, stating that he remain a 'staunch opponent' of 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... Is it a bad thing to strengthen and praise the organisation?" he told reporters later.
CWC meeting
Meanwhile, the Congress on Saturday held its CWC meeting, in which the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge called for a nationwide campaign against the Centre's decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the VB G Ram G Bill.
He said the government replaced MGNREGA without any consultation with states and political parties. "It is our collective responsibility to make concrete plans on MGNREGA, launch a nationwide public campaign," he said.
The issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was also discussed during the meeting, on which Kharge said it was a conspiracy to limit the democratic rights of the people. He also condemned the Christmas vandalism in several parts of the country, linking it to the BJP and the RSS.
