Rahul Gandhi's 'mischief' banter with Digvijay Singh over 'RSS-BJP' post masks tension on Congress Day

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (file image)

A day after Digvijaya Singh's post advising the Congress to learn from the RSS-BJP relationship, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister met Rahul Gandhi on the occasion of Congress Foundation Day.

Rahul Gandhi, while shaking hands with Digvijaya Singh, quipped, "Kal aapne badmashi kar di (You were up to mischief yesterday)" This prompted laughter from the leaders standing around Digvijaya Singh, among them Sonia Gandhi, sources were cited as saying by NDTV.

The comment was made later in the day when party leaders had gathered for tea and snacks following the formal celebrations.

The light-hearted moment came a day after Digvijaya Singh’s social media post created unease within the Congress. On Saturday, ahead of a Congress Working Committee meeting, Singh shared an old photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, praising the organisational strength of the RSS-BJP ecosystem.

In his post, Singh wrote, “I found this picture. It is very impressive. How a grassroots RSS volunteer and a Jan Sangh and BJP worker, sitting on the floor at the feet of leaders, became the Chief Minister of a state and the Prime Minister of the country. This is the power of organization. Jai Siya Ram."

Digvijay Singh later clarified that he opposes the RSS and PM Modi's ideology and merely praised the organisation.

Congress leader Pawan Khera, however, reacted sharply to his statement, saying that Gandhi's organisation doesn't need to learn from Godse's organisation.

Addressing the gathering on the Congress Foundation Day, Congress President Kharge indirectly addressed leaders like Digvijay Singh, saying, "Today, on Foundation Day, I want to make one thing clear: those who say, 'Congress is finished,' I want to tell them... we may have less power, but our backbone is still straight. We have not compromised... neither on Constitution, nor on secularism, nor on the rights of the poor. We may not be in power, but we will not compromise".

"The Congress has never spread hatred over temple-mosque issues. Congress unites, while the BJP divides. Congress kept religion as faith... but some people have turned religion into politics! Today, the BJP has power, but they lack truth... Congress is an ideology... and ideologies never die," he added.