NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday drew criticism from opposition leaders across parties, with many accusing him of using the occasion for political posturing and praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) inappropriately.Congress MP Jairam Ramesh described the speech as “stale, hypocritical, insipid, and troubling.” He alleged that PM Modi’s mention of the RSS was aimed at securing the organisation’s backing for a possible extension of his tenure after he turns 75 in September. “The most troubling element of the PM’s speech 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,” Ramesh wrote on X.Ramesh also criticised repeated slogans like “Viksit Bharat,” “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” and “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” claiming they lacked measurable outcomes. He pointed to unfulfilled promises on semiconductors, farm laws, and job creation, saying the rhetoric on protecting farmers had become “hollow and unbelievable.”Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose accused PM Modi of targeting “a new enemy” in his speech, illegal infiltrators, while over-promising on new initiatives. “As usual, Narendra Modi uses his Independence Day speech to target a new ‘enemy’. After Andolanjeevis, now infiltrators are the new target,” she said, questioning the government’s record of “over-promising and under-achieving.”AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised Modi for glorifying the RSS from the Red Fort, calling it “an insult to the freedom struggle.” He said the RSS did not participate in India’s independence movement and promoted exclusionary Hindutva ideology. “Modi could have gone to Nagpur to praise RSS as a swayamsevak; why did he do it from the Red Fort as Prime Minister?” Owaisi questioned.Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also took a dig at the PM, saying the RSS should “thank the British” on completing 100 years, referring to the organisation’s origin during colonial times. He questioned Modi’s swadeshi rhetoric, citing trade deficits with China and the US, and argued that Independence Day should not be used for political messaging.In his speech, PM Modi hailed 100 years of RSS as a “very proud and glorious” journey, calling it “the biggest NGO in the world,” and announced a high-powered demographic mission to tackle illegal infiltration. He also emphasised self-reliance in sectors such as semiconductors, social media, fertilisers, and pharmaceuticals.
