RSS earned people’s trust through service, not Congress approval: Gaurav
Jammu, June 17: BJP Spokesperson and Convenor, International Affairs Department, Gaurav Gupta, launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Priyank Kharge for questioning the legal status and registration of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing the Congress party of deliberately distorting facts to target an organisation that has devoted a century to nation-building and social service.
Gupta said Kharge’s remarks reflect the Congress party’s historical hostility towards the RSS, a mindset that dates back to the era of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He asserted that despite repeated attempts by successive Congress governments to marginalise and discredit the RSS, the organisation has continued to grow because of its commitment to nationalism, social harmony, and public service.
“The RSS was founded in 1925 and has spent the last hundred years working among the people. Its legitimacy comes from the trust of millions of Indians and not from certificates issued by political parties. Congress leaders know very well that Indian law does not mandate the registration of every voluntary association, yet they continue to raise settled issues for political mileage,” Gupta said.
He pointed out that courts and tax authorities have repeatedly recognised the RSS as a lawful body and that despite decades of political attacks, no government has ever established any illegality in its functioning. “The legal position is clear. The controversy is being manufactured by Congress because it has nothing constructive to offer the nation,” he added.
Referring to former President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur in 2018, Gupta said the late Congress stalwart had demonstrated statesmanship by engaging with an organisation that commands immense respect across the country. “Even senior Congress leaders acknowledged the RSS’s contribution to national life. Unfortunately, today’s Congress leadership is trapped in divisive politics and unable to rise above ideological prejudice,” he said.
Launching a blistering attack on the Congress, Gupta said it was ironic that the party responsible for imposing the Emergency, curbing democratic freedoms, censoring the media, and imprisoning political opponents is now attempting to lecture others on transparency and constitutional values.
“The Congress should first explain its own legacy of authoritarianism, corruption scandals, dynasty politics, and appeasement before questioning an organisation whose volunteers have selflessly served the nation during wars, natural disasters, public emergencies, and social crises,” he said.
Gupta further stated that the repeated attacks on the RSS expose Congress’s frustration over its declining political relevance and its inability to understand the cultural and nationalist aspirations of the people. “No amount of propaganda can erase the RSS’s unparalleled contribution to national unity, character-building, and social transformation. The Congress must stop targeting patriotic institutions for headlines and instead focus on rebuilding its own credibility, which stands severely damaged in the eyes of the people,” he added.
