Whenever the BJP-led NDA government takes strong or reformative decisions, the Indian National Congress wastes no time in crying foul — branding such moves as “anti-people” or “undemocratic.” Ironically, even when constitutionally autonomous institutions like the Election Commission or the judiciary exercise their independent mandates, Congress doesn’t hesitate to accuse the BJP of manipulating them. It’s a tired but routine script: blame Modi, drag in the RSS, and repeat — a playbook followed religiously by Rahul Gandhi.
The EC Conspiracy That Wasn’t
As elections approach in Bihar, Congress has once again accused the Election Commission of acting under BJP and RSS influence, especially over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — a standard practice to update electoral rolls. The process includes additions, deletions, and corrections based on due verification, with clear appeal mechanisms in place for grievances. Courts have recognised this as a constitutional mandate. Ironically, Congress tasted victory in states like Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh — all under the same Election Commission. Clearly, the system works fine when Congress wins, but becomes “rigged” the moment it faces a tough fight.
The Convenient Punching Bag
For Rahul Gandhi, no speech is complete without blaming the RSS. From judicial delays to foreign policy, economic policy to local elections, he finds ingenious ways to loop the Sangh into every criticism. Recently, Priyank Kharge, son of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, echoed Rahul’s tactics by calling RSS “anti-national,” “anti-constitutional,” and a “cancer” — even promising a ban if Congress returns to power.
Such statements aren’t new — but they are increasingly hollow. For nearly 100 years, the RSS has operated as one of Bharat’s most transparent and debated organisations. Despite intense scrutiny across political, social, and ideological spectrums, the Sangh continues its march forward — focused on grassroots nation-building rather than media optics or electoral muscle.
Rahul’s Hit-and-Run Politics
Rahul Gandhi’s strategy is simple: throw allegations, avoid scrutiny, duck court appearances, and repeat. His baseless claims — such as RSS did not participate in the freedom struggle or supports Manusmriti over the Constitution — are designed less to inform and more to provoke. This politics of slander is now his default mode of survival as a political heir to a fading dynasty.
And yet, while the Congress portrays itself as a secular bulwark against “communal fascism,” it has a documented history of consorting with divisive and radical outfits that threaten the very constitutional ethos it claims to protect.
Congress and Its Radical Friends
The same Congress that targets RSS without evidence conveniently keeps mum or even partners with divisive groups like SDPI and IUML — organisations known for communal polarisation and links to radical Islamist networks. The SDPI is the political front of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), whose members were implicated in riots, political killings, and terror funding. Congress never condemned SDPI — in fact, it tacitly supported them in several civic elections between 2020 and 2023.
When the Mumbai blasts occurred in 2008, Congress leaders were quick to release books linking the attacks to the RSS — even though Pakistan-based terrorists had claimed responsibility and UN-designated terrorists were involved. Moreover, Congress attempted to coin the term “Hindu terror” in an effort to deflect attention from Islamic terrorism and protect its agenda — revealing a deep-rooted hatred for Hindutva within the top echelons of today’s Congress.
Similarly, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Congress’s long-time ally in Kerala, regularly makes anti-Hindu and regressive statements. But far from distancing itself, Congress defends IUML as “secular.” In October 2023, when Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal virtually addressed a Kerala rally organised by Jamaat-e-Islami’s youth wing, Congress looked the other way — no condemnation, no comment. Its alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami during Kerala’s Nirambur bypoll only confirmed what critics have long alleged — for Congress, radical votes outweigh moral clarity.
Allegations vs. Reality: The RSS Record
Congress, especially Rahul Gandhi, has levelled several accusations against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — most of which collapse under basic historical scrutiny and factual investigation. Here’s a breakdown of the key allegations and the documented reality.
Allegation: RSS supported the British during the execution of tribal icons like Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda.
Reality: The RSS was founded in 1925. Tantya Mama was executed in 1889, and Birsa Munda in 1900 — decades before the RSS even existed. Linking the Sangh to their deaths is historically dishonest and factually absurd.
Allegation: RSS did not participate in the freedom struggle.
Reality: Many swayamsevaks individually took part in the Quit India movement and other anti-British activities. Notably, RSS volunteer Hemu Kalani was sentenced to death by the British for attempting to derail military supplies.
Allegation: RSS had no role in India’s defence or national development.
Reality: RSS swayamsevaks played a crucial role during major national crises like Covid and Andhra Pradesh cyclone 1977 (Diwiseema Uppena)
Partition (1947): RSS maintained civil order and helped rehabilitate refugees coming from Pakistan, when the state machinery was weak and inadequate.
Pakistan’s invasion of Kashmir (1947): Swayamsevaks assisted the armed forces and civil authorities.
Goa Liberation Movement: Volunteers participated in nationalist mobilisation.
Indo-China War (1962) & Indo-Pak Wars (1965 & 1971): RSS provided ground-level logistical support.
Republic Day 1963: RSS was invited by Jawaharlal Nehru himself to march in the Republic Day Parade for its wartime services.
Allegation: RSS undermines constitutional institutions like the Election Commission, Judiciary, and Media.
Reality: The Indian judiciary has often ruled independently and even against the BJP government. The media continues to thrive with vigorous criticism of the ruling dispensation. The Election Commission, an autonomous constitutional body, has supervised elections in which Congress has secured victories — including in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. Claims of institutional capture collapse when viewed through actual electoral outcomes.
The Work Congress Won’t Acknowledge
RSS’s social contribution is unmatched. With over 1.5 lakh service projects via Sangh-inspired organisations like Seva Bharati and Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, the Sangh works in rural education, tribal development, disaster relief, and women’s empowerment. Its contributions during the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars were acknowledged even by Nehru’s government — including an invitation to the 1963 Republic Day Parade. During COVID-19 and natural disasters, Sangh workers reached areas where governments couldn’t.
Yet, none of this finds space in Congress’s discourse. Why? Because the narrative is too valuable to be disturbed by facts.
Selective Secularism, Dangerous Hypocrisy
So, the fundamental question remains: Is Congress’s opposition to RSS rooted in ideological difference, or in vote-bank desperation? The party that calls RSS “fascist” partners with banned or radical groups. It accuses RSS of being “anti-woman” while defending organisations that push orthodox patriarchal norms. It blames RSS for historical events it wasn’t even present for, while refusing to take accountability for its own post-Independence misgovernance — from Partition handling to Emergency to present-day appeasement.
This isn’t principled politics. It’s hypocrisy wrapped in hollow rhetoric.
Conclusion: Truth, Not Theatrics
Democracy is not protected by slandering lawful organisations or discrediting autonomous institutions. It is defended through accountability, truth, and consistency. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party’s persistent demonisation of the RSS, despite lacking factual backing, only exposes their ideological insecurity and moral inconsistency.
It appears that Rahul Gandhi and his core team are strategically trying to discredit the growing acceptance of the RSS among the common people and digitally distance the younger generation from the Sangh. However, in reality, people are drawing closer. In fact, many have joined the Sangh despite such vilification — simply to understand the truth — and today, they have all become dedicated swayamsevaks after realising they are an inseparable part of its mission and activities.
As long as Congress continues to coddle radicals while vilifying nationalists, their claim to defend secularism and democracy will ring increasingly hollow — not just to critics, but to their own supporters.
The author is the State Spokesperson of BJP Andhra Pradesh and has written India Before & After 2014: Why Bharat Needs BJP!
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