Manickam Tagore’s Al-Qaeda Remark On RSS Sparks Row After Digvijaya Singh’s Praise
Reacting to Digvijaya Singh’s remarks, Tagore launched a sharp attack on the RSS, describing it as an organisation driven by hatred.
- Congress MP compares RSS to Al-Qaeda, sparking political row.
- Remarks follow leader's praise for BJP's organisational strength.
- BJP criticises Congress, warns of legal action for remarks.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore has triggered a political storm after comparing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to terror outfit Al-Qaeda, escalating an internal Congress debate into a full-blown confrontation with the BJP. Tagore’s remarks came a day after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh publicly acknowledged the organisational strength of the BJP-RSS combine, a comment that had already unsettled sections of the party. The BJP swiftly seized on Tagore’s statement, accusing the Congress of indulging in extreme rhetoric and warning of legal action.
Tagore Attacks RSS
Reacting to Digvijaya Singh’s remarks, Tagore launched a sharp attack on the RSS, describing it as an organisation driven by hatred. Drawing a controversial parallel, he said there was nothing to learn from the RSS, just as there was nothing to learn from Al-Qaeda.
“The RSS is an organisation built on hatred. It spreads hatred. There is nothing to learn from hatred,” Tagore told ANI. “Can you learn anything from Al-Qaeda? Al-Qaeda is an organisation of hatred. What is there to learn from such an organisation?”
Tagore’s comments were widely seen as an attempt to counter Digvijaya Singh’s praise of the BJP’s organisational discipline, even as they exposed visible discomfort within the Congress over Singh’s remarks. While Singh had shared an old photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP veteran L K Advani to underline the BJP’s cadre strength, Tagore’s response reflected a far more confrontational stance.
BJP Hits Back
The BJP reacted strongly, with national spokesperson R P Singh launching a blistering attack on both Tagore and the Congress leadership. He warned that Tagore should either introspect or be prepared to face a defamation suit for comparing the RSS to a global terror organisation.
The BJP also accused the Congress of ideological confusion, pointing to the sharp contrast between Digvijaya Singh’s acknowledgment of RSS discipline and Tagore’s incendiary remarks. According to the BJP, the episode highlights deep contradictions within the Congress on how to engage with the BJP and its ideological parent.
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