NEW DELHI: Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on December 28 agreed with another senior party leader, Digvijaya Singh, on the need for greater discipline and cohesion within the Congress.
This came after Digvijaya Singh sparked a political storm with his comments on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP’s organisational strength. Speaking to the media, Shashi Tharoor backed Digvijaya Singh’s call for a stronger organisation within the Congress.
Responding to questions about Digvijaya Singh’s praise for the RSS and the BJP’s structure, Tharoor told the media, “I too want our organisation to be stronger. There should be discipline within the Congress. Digvijaya Singh can speak for himself,” he added.
His statement came in the wake of a political row sparked by Digvijaya Singh’s post, in which he lauded the RSS and BJP for their robust organisational network.
Notably, Digvijaya Singh shared an undated photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani. The image, showing Narendra Modi alongside Advani and others at a public rally, was accompanied by Digvijay Singh’s comment on the organisational power of the BJP and the RSS.
Digvijay Singh wrote, “I found this picture on Quora. It is very impactful. It shows how an RSS grassroots volunteer and a Jan Sangh/BJP worker, who once sat at the feet of leaders, went on to become a state’s chief minister and the country’s prime minister. This is the power of organisation.”
His post, which tagged Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Priyanka Gandhi, soon went viral, drawing attention from both Congress and BJP leaders.
Within Congress, reactions to Digvijay Singh’s remarks have been varied. While some leaders, like Sachin Pilot, maintained that the party remains united and that individuals are free to express their opinions, others took a stronger stance against any admiration for the RSS.
The controversy unfolded as the Congress Working Committee met in Delhi to discuss the party’s organisational structure and political strategy. During the meeting, Digvijaya Singh reportedly remarked that the Congress had become overly centralised and needed to reconnect with its grassroots, saying the party must “hit the roots”.
These comments, read alongside his social media post, have been seen by political observers as an implicit critique of the Congress leadership model, especially when contrasted with the cadre-driven structure of the RSS–BJP.
BJP spokesperson Pradip Bhandari went further, claiming that Singh’s post reflected open dissent against Rahul Gandhi. “Digvijaya Singh openly dissents against Rahul Gandhi. He makes it clear that under Rahul Gandhi the Congress organisation has collapsed. Congress versus Congress is now on public display,” Bhandari said.
