The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday lashed out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his recent comments on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), alleging that his statements resembled the rhetoric of groups such as the Popular Front of India (PFI), the Muslim League, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.
Mallikarjun Kharge Demands For ‘Ban On RSS’
Kharge had earlier said that, in his personal opinion, the RSS should be banned, holding it and the BJP responsible for several law and order issues across the country. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of betraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy by allowing government employees to take part in RSS activities — a reversal, he said, of Patel’s 1948 decision to outlaw the organization following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
Kharge’s remarks followed Prime Minister Modi’s comments on Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary. Citing Patel’s post-1948 letters critical of the RSS, Kharge argued that reviving the organization’s influence was “akin to tasting poison,” warning that such actions could endanger social harmony and national unity. He also accused the Modi government of distorting history by removing references to Gandhi, Godse, the RSS, and the 2002 Gujarat riots from NCERT textbooks.
हाल ही में NCERT की तीन किताबों में से गाँधी जी, गोडसे, RSS और 2002 के गुजरात दंगों से जुड़े टॉपिक हटा दिए गए हैं।
मोदी सरकार हमेशा झूठ को सच बनाने की कोशिश में लगी रहती है, जिससे उनकी मंशा समझ में आती है। pic.twitter.com/eVqAhvnr6z
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 31, 2025
BJP Calls Kharge’s Remark As ‘Anti-Democratic’
Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said Kharge’s remarks reflected “the mindset of divisive forces.” He urged the Congress chief to study the perspectives of national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi, who, he claimed, had acknowledged the RSS’s contributions to the nation, as per PTI.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also joined the criticism, accusing the Congress of carrying forward an “anti-democratic attitude” from the Emergency era. He said Kharge’s demand for a ban on the RSS was an attempt to silence ideological opposition. Pradhan further alleged that Congress had historically sided with organisations like the PFI while maligning the RSS, which he described as a century-old institution devoted to national service.
आपातकाल से लेकर आज तक कांग्रेस पार्टी की दमनकारी सोच में कोई बदलाव नहीं आया है। यह उनका मूल चरित्र बन चुका है। कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष मल्लिकार्जुन खड़गे का राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ (RSS) पर प्रतिबंध लगाने की मांग, लोकतंत्र विरोधी और असहमति को दबाने वाली सोच का प्रत्यक्ष उदाहरण है। आज… https://t.co/lfr6MeOm28
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 31, 2025
