New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the “world’s biggest NGO” and a centennial “journey of national service” during his Independence Day speech on Friday ignited a fierce backlash from opposition leaders.They accused PM Modi of undermining India’s secular and constitutional ethos. His speech, peppered with praise for the RSS, was what many saw as a strategic nod to his ideological roots from the ramparts of the Red Fort.Modi hailed the RSS’s 100 years of service and lauded its discipline and nationalistic fervour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed 100 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a “very proud and glorious” journey of the “world’s biggest NGO” and lauded all its volunteers for their dedicated service to the nation.Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, he said the nation is not built by the government or those sitting in power only. It is built by the efforts of crores of people, including saints, seers, scientists, teachers, farmers, soldiers, labourers, individuals, and organisations, he said.
“Today I want to mention one thing with great pride that 100 years ago an organisation was born — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Its 100 years of national service has been a very proud and glorious page,” said Modi, who has been an RSS pracharak in the past.For the past 100 years, the RSS sawayamsevaks (volunteers) have been dedicating their lives to fulfil the resolve of ‘vyakti nirman’ (character development) and ‘rashtra nirman’ (nation building) for the welfare of ‘matrubhoomi’ (motherland), he said.
BJP defends PM RSS praiseThe BJP on Friday dismissed the Congress’ criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise of the RSS in his Independence Day address. BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya recalled that the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had invited the RSS to join the Republic Day parade in 1963 and had called it an organisation of patriots.”As the RSS marks 100 years, it is fitting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentions it from the Red Fort,” he said, reacting to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s criticism.Malviya said, “India’s public discourse today is shaped by RSS ideology, while the Congress is detached not only from the realities of our times but also from Nehru himself.” In his speech, Modi had hailed 100 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a “very proud and glorious” journey of likely the “world’s biggest NGO” and lauded all its volunteers for their dedicated service to the nation.Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed it as “most troubling”, saying it is a “breach” of the spirit of constitutional and secular republic and a desperate attempt to appease the Sangh in the run-up to his 75th birthday. “The most troubling element of the PM’s speech today was his name-checking of the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort – a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic. It is nothing but a desperate attempt to appease the organisation in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month,” Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.