Digvijaya Singh’s Godse remark rekindles Congress reform vs unity debate

The controversy erupted after Singh shared an online post praising the BJP-RSS organisational structure for allowing grassroots workers to rise to the highest positions, including chief minister and prime minister.

The post included a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting on the floor next to BJP veteran L K Advani.

The remarks were widely interpreted as favourable to the ruling party and its ideological parent, drawing sharp reactions within the Congress.

Although Singh later clarified that he remains a “staunch opponent” of the BJP and the RSS, the clarification failed to stem the backlash.

The post also revived attention on Singh’s comments from last week, in which he publicly called for reforms and decentralisation of power within the Congress, tagging Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the message.

The episode pushed the Congress leadership into damage-control mode, with the party reiterating its opposition to the RSS ideology, even as senior leaders offered differing views on Singh’s remarks.

Congress Working Committee member and party spokesperson Pawan Khera openly disagreed with Singh’s assessment. “I don’t agree with what he has said. Godse’s supporters cannot be Gandhi’s supporters,” Khera said, underscoring the ideological divide between the Congress and the RSS.

Without naming Singh directly, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also sought to draw a clear distinction between the Congress and the BJP-RSS combine. Reiterating his long-standing opposition to the RSS, Kharge said the Congress does not practise politics based on religion.

“We may have less power, but our backbone is not weak. Whether we are in power or not, we do not seek votes in the name of religion. We believe in religion, but some have turned religion into politics,” Kharge said.

He accused the BJP and RSS of undermining constitutional values and people’s rights.

Other senior leaders attempted to play down the controversy. Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot denied any lack of unity within the party, asserting that the Congress remains the country’s strongest opposition force. “Congress is united. Opinions are free to express. Our single goal is to strengthen Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi,” Pilot said.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate rejected the suggestion that the party needed to learn from the RSS. “They should learn from us. We don’t need to learn anything from Godse’s organisation,” she said, referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin.

Veteran leader Salman Khurshid, however, defended Singh, saying his remarks were being misunderstood.

“Appreciation and assessment of facts are two different things. Digvijaya Singh is completely with our leadership. Both he and the Congress reject the RSS ideology,” Khurshid said, describing Singh’s comments as a pragmatic assessment rather than ideological approval.

Congress MP Rajni Patil also backed Singh, claiming that his statement had been misrepresented, while leader Alka Lamba called for an objective assessment of organisational strengths without compromising ideological positions.

“Everyone can have their point of view. But we do not agree with the ideology of the RSS at all,” Lamba said.

Another party leader, Rashid, acknowledged the organisational strength of the RSS, saying the BJP’s electoral success is closely linked to its backing.

“We saw during the Lok Sabha elections what happened when RSS support was withdrawn,” he said.

The divergent reactions underline ongoing unease within the Congress, as the party grapples with internal reform debates and its ideological positioning against the BJP ahead of key political battles.