Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 27: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh has kicked up a fresh political controversy after publicly praising the organisational strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—remarks that come barely a week after he flagged the need for internal reforms within the Congress to Rahul Gandhi.
On Saturday morning, Singh shared a black-and-white photograph, reportedly from the 1990s, showing a young Narendra Modi seated on the floor near BJP veteran L K Advani at a public event in Gujarat. The image, said to be from the 1996 swearing-in ceremony of former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, has often been cited as a visual symbol of Modi’s rise within the BJP.
Posting a screenshot sourced from Quora on X, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said the photograph reflected how grassroots workers in the RSS and BJP could rise through the ranks to occupy the country’s highest constitutional offices. “This is the power of the organisation,” Singh wrote, ending the post with “Jai Siya Ram.”
The post triggered sharp reactions from the BJP, which seized on Singh’s remarks to attack the Congress leadership. BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan said the tweet had dropped a “truth bomb”, alleging it exposed the Congress’s “autocratic and undemocratic” internal functioning.
“Will Rahul Gandhi show courage and react to this shocking truth bomb?” Kesavan asked in a post on X, claiming the remarks laid bare the Congress’s “dictatorial” style of functioning.
Within Congress circles, Singh’s post is being widely seen as a pointed message to the party high command. Notably, he tagged the official Congress handle along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, fuelling speculation that the praise was meant to underline his repeated call for organisational reform.
Earlier, on December 19, Singh had written an open post urging Rahul Gandhi to push for “pragmatic, decentralised functioning” within the party. While praising Gandhi’s stand on socio-economic issues, Singh had said reforming the Congress organisation required greater openness, adding that it was “not easy to convince” Gandhi on internal changes.
The BJP has since repeatedly cited Singh’s remarks to argue that the Congress speaks of democracy publicly while failing to practise it internally. Another BJP spokesperson, Pradip Bhandari, described the episode as open dissent, remarking, “Congress vs Congress is on display.”
The controversy also comes at a politically sensitive time for Singh in Madhya Pradesh. His second Rajya Sabha term ends early next year, and prospects of a third term remain uncertain amid stiff competition within the state unit. Leaders such as Kamal Nath and Meenakshi Natarajan are seen as frontrunners, while state Congress chief Jitu Patwari and legislature party leader Umang Singhar are believed to be opposed to Singh’s leadership.
Responding to the backlash, Singh sought to clarify his position, asserting that he had only praised organisational discipline. “I have always opposed the RSS and Prime Minister Modi. I remain against the policies of the RSS and Modi ji,” he said, attempting to quell speculation of any ideological softening.