BJP warns Congress MP of defamation for RSS-Al Qaeda comparison

BJP leader RP Singh warned Congress MP Manickam Tagore of a defamation suit for comparing the RSS to Al-Qaeda and calling it a 'hate-driven body'. Tagore's comments were a reaction to Digvijaya Singh praising the RSS's organisational structure.

BJP Warns Congress MP Over RSS Remarks

BJP leader RP Singh on Monday warned Congress MP Manickam Tagore to be prepared to face a defamation case over his remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling it a "hate-driven body" and comparing it to Al Qaeda. Speaking with ANI, Singh said, "He should be ready to face a defamation case and also issue an apology."

He advised Tagore to visit an RSS centre to see its work firsthand. Singh warned that comparing it to Al-Qaeda could invite a defamation case, besides demanding an apology. "Manickam Tagore has no understanding of the RSS. I want him to visit an RSS centre and see for himself. In the RSS, we speak about the nation and nationalism. If he is comparing the RSS to Al-Qaeda, then he should be prepared to face a defamation case and also issue an apology," he said.

Tagore Likens RSS to Al-Qaeda

Congress MP Manickam Tagore earlier on Sunday criticised Digvijaya Singh's praise for the RSS's organisational strength, calling it a "famous self-goal". Tagore equated the RSS with Al-Qaeda, stating that both spread hatred.

He said, "The RSS is an organisation built on hatred, and it spreads hatred. There is nothing to learn from hatred. Can you learn anything from Al-Qaeda? Al-Qaeda is an organisation of hatred. It hates others. What is there to learn from that organisation?"

Context Behind the Controversy

This comes after Digvijaya Singh shared a black-and-white photograph from the 1990s, found on social question-and-answer website Quora, showing a young Narendra Modi seated on the floor near senior BJP leader LK Advani at an event in Gujarat.

In a post shared on X, Digvijaya Singh noted that individuals who once worked at the grassroots level could rise through the organisational hierarchy to become Chief Minister and eventually Prime Minister. He described this as the "power of organisation", while tagging senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, PM Modi, and the official handles of the Congress. "I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots swayamsevak of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country? This is the power of the organisation. Jai Siya Ram. @INCIndia @INCMP@kharge @RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi @Jairam_Ramesh @narendramodi," Singh's X post read. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)