The Malappuram district committee of the Indian Youth Congress stirred controversy by organising an ‘Anti-Fascist Samgamam’ on January 30, 2023, in Kerala. The event’s posters, explicitly attributing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), sparked outrage.
Responding to the posters and the organised programme, the RSS Vibhag Karyakarini filed a complaint with the District Police Chief. The RSS Karyakari issued a press release, denouncing the allegations as baseless and demanding appropriate action against the dissemination of misleading information.
Accordingly, Karyakari issued a press release: “Youth Congress programme on January 30, the martyr day of Mahatma Gandhi, is a blatant disrespect and challenge towards the country’s judiciary. It is a well-orchestrated design to misguide society.
The entire inquiry carried out after the brutal assassination of Gandhiji has found that the RSS has nothing to do with it and those inquiry commissions have repeatedly made it clear. Legal luminaries like Justice K.T. Thomas (Retd. Supreme Court) have asserted it too. Still, they are going ahead with this sort of venomous propaganda. It is a challenge to the country’s judiciary. Programmes like this can break the peace in society; hence, the administration should not give permission to conduct these sorts of programmes. Intend to file complaint before the District Police Chief in this regard. Karyakari will go for all necessary legal options.”
In response to the Indian Youth Congress’ ‘Anti-Fascist Samgamam’ event in Malappuram, Kerala, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Vibhag Karyakari filed a formal complaint with the district administration and the district police chief. The complaint, prompted by posters explicitly blaming the RSS for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, has now escalated, with the RSS considering legal action against what they term as “calumnious propaganda.”
The RSS, through its Karyakari, issued a statement expressing discontent over the false accusations and vowed to take the matter to court. The incident underscores the ongoing political tensions, with parties resorting to historical narratives for their political discourse.
The RSS accuses the Indian National Congress of engaging in a survival strategy marked by spreading falsehoods. They assert that the party, grappling with internal challenges, is resorting to misleading propaganda as a desperate attempt to salvage its diminishing influence across the country.
This turn of events aligns with a perceived trend where political figures, including Rahul Gandhi, adopt a similar narrative approach. The RSS draws parallels between the actions of the Kerala Youth Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s communication style, asserting a common thread of resorting to unverified claims to garner support.
As the political landscape witnesses a surge in rhetoric and counter-accusations, the RSS’s potential legal action adds a legal dimension to the ongoing dispute. The incident highlights the intense competition and growing polarization within the political sphere, where historical events become tools for political survival and influence.
