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Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said Gandhi should focus on challenging the BJP’s dominance instead of targeting the RSS or Savarkar
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (Image: PTI/File)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s fresh attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Veer Savarkar during an event in Colombia drew sharp reactions, with ally Shiv Sena (UBT) warning him against making “negative statements”.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said Gandhi should focus on challenging the BJP’s dominance instead of targeting the RSS or Savarkar.
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“We should avoid making negative statements. I would request Rahul Gandhi to focus on fighting against the BJP’s dominance and power, rather than commenting on the RSS or Veer Savarkar. He should stay focused on his fight against BJP’s rule,” Dubey said.
Addressing students at EIA University in Colombia, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha alleged that “cowardice” was at the core of the BJP-RSS ideology.
Citing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s 2023 remarks on China, Gandhi said, “The foreign minister said, ‘China is much more powerful than us. How can I pick a fight with them?’ At the heart of the ideology is cowardice. The RSS ideology is to beat up weak people and run away from those stronger than them.”
Gandhi also referred to a passage from Savarkar’s writings, claiming he once wrote about assaulting a Muslim man with friends and feeling “happy” about it.
“If five people beat up a single individual and feel happy, that is cowardice. This is RSS ideology,” he said.
Broadening his criticism, Gandhi warned of “fault lines” in India, arguing that the “single biggest risk” facing the country is an “attack on democracy.”
He said India’s diversity of languages, religions and traditions requires space to thrive, which only democracy can provide. “We can’t do what China does, which is suppress people and run an authoritarian system,” he said.
The BJP hit back strongly, accusing Gandhi of again maligning India overseas.
Sharing a clip of the speech, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia posted on X, “Rahul Gandhi does it again, degrades India on foreign soil. From defaming our democracy in London, to mocking our institutions in the US, now in Colombia, he spares no chance to insult Bharat globally.”
This is not the first time Gandhi’s remarks abroad have sparked controversy, with the BJP accusing him of undermining India’s image internationally, even as his allies strike a cautious note.
October 02, 2025, 19:46 IST
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