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A senior RSS functionary said: “It is Priyank Kharge’s personal comment, and we didn’t see any other Congressman supporting him.”
Priyank Kharge said that the Congress would ban the RSS if it returned to power at the Centre. (X)
Dismissing Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge’s comment on banning the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as his “personal statement”, the RSS said even senior Congress veterans like former President Pranab Mukherjee had praised the organisation.
“We have seen Pranab Mukherjee praising the RSS and even visiting the headquarters,” a senior RSS functionary told News18 on condition of anonymity.
“It is his personal comment, and we didn’t see any other Congressman supporting him. The Congress has banned the RSS thrice before, but as a socio-cultural organisation that has been carrying out over two lakh social service activities across the country, our work has been widely appreciated—even by prominent figures like Ratan Tata and Azim Premji, whose foundation is associated with some of these activities,” he added.
Kharge, the IT Minister in the Siddaramaiah government, said that the Congress would ban the RSS if it returned to power at the Centre. He alleged that the RSS spreads hatred in society and does not operate within the bounds of the law.
The RSS functionary countered this by invoking history. “Even Sardar Patel praised the RSS when he lifted the ban on it,” he said, referring to Kharge’s claim that both Patel and Indira Gandhi had previously banned the RSS.
Kharge also alleged that the organisation did not participate in the Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha), Quit India Movement, or any other mass movements during India’s independence struggle. He further claimed that the RSS distributed sweets after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, opposed the tricolour flag on the eve of independence, and campaigned for the Manusmriti to be implemented instead of the Constitution.
When asked how such a ban would be implemented, Kharge had said, “It is the job of the legislature to legislate. We will bring in the necessary legislation within the ambit of the Constitution.”
All these statements were also dismissed by the RSS, saying they should not be taken seriously. “We know what the Congress can and cannot do. But this is clearly a personal statement by Kharge—no one else in the party has echoed it. It is not the official position of the Congress. In fact, we have had strong relationships with several Congress leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee, who visited and appreciated the RSS,” said the leader.
Kharge maintained that the RSS ban should never have been lifted. He reiterated that the organisation remains opposed to both the Constitution and the national flag and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of acting as its political puppet.
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
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