This is the power of the organisation: Digvijaya Singh praises BJP-RSS, ignites controversy
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh has sparked a fresh political controversy after publicly praising the organisational strength of the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, remarks that come just 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, supposedly 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, reportedly from the 1996 swearing-in ceremony of former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, has long been cited as a visual marker of Modis rise within the BJP. Posting a screenshot sourced from Quora on X, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister wrote that the photograph reflected how grassroots workers within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP could rise through the ranks to occupy the highest constitutional offices. This is the power of the organisation, he wrote, ending the post with Jai Siya Ram. The remarks immediately drew sharp reactions from the BJP, which used the post to target the Congress leadership. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan said Singhs tweet had dropped a truth bomb exposing what he alleged was the Congresss 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 tweet laid bare how the Congress was run in a 'dictatorial manner.' Within Congress circles, Singhs post has been widely seen as a message to the party high command. He tagged the official Congress handle along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, prompting speculation that the praise was intended to underline his call for organisational reform. On December 19, Singh had written an open post urging Rahul Gandhi to push for pragmatic decentralised functioning within the Congress, saying that while Gandhi was bang on on socio-economic issues, reforming the party organisation required greater openness. He had also remarked that it was not easy to convince Gandhi on internal changes. The BJP has repeatedly cited Singhs remarks to argue that the Congress preaches democracy externally while failing to practise it internally. Another BJP spokesperson, Pradip Bhandari, described Singhs post as evidence of open dissent, saying, Congress vs Congress is on display. Singhs statements also come at a politically sensitive moment for him in Madhya Pradesh. His second Rajya Sabha term ends early next year, and a third term appears 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 considered opposed to Singhs leadership. Responding to the controversy, Singh sought to clarify his position, saying he had merely 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 ideological softening.
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