Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday endorsed senior leader Digvijaya Singh’s call for organisational reforms, stressing the need to strengthen the party amid a growing row over Singh’s recent remarks that appeared to praise the BJP and the RSS.
Singh had publicly flagged the need for reforms and decentralisation within the Congress, tagging Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a post. The intervention, coming from a veteran leader, embarrassed the party but also highlighted simmering discontent within its ranks.
Digvijay Singh Controversy
The controversy escalated after Singh shared an online post praising the organisational ecosystem of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Posting a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi seated near BJP veteran LK Advani, Singh remarked that grassroots workers in the BJP–RSS system can rise to top positions such as chief minister and prime minister.
Although Singh later clarified that he remains a staunch opponent of the RSS–BJP ideology, the post triggered sharp reactions within the Congress, which reiterated its ideological differences with the Sangh and condemned what it described as the legacy of “Gandhi’s killers”.
Asked whether he supported Singh’s reform push, Tharoor told reporters on his way to an event marking the Congress’s 140th foundation day that strengthening the organisation was imperative. “We are friends, and conversations are natural. The organisation must be strengthened, there’s no question about it,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
Want Congress To Be Strong: Tharoor
Referring to the party’s long history, Tharoor added that discipline and institutional learning were essential. “We have a 140-year history; there’s much to learn. I want the organisation to be strong. Discipline is necessary; there must be discipline within the party,” he said.
Singh, meanwhile, reiterated that his remarks should not be read as admiration for the RSS. “There is no need to learn anything from Gandhi’s killers. I have fought communal forces in the Assembly and Parliament and remain opposed to their ideology,” he said, while maintaining that organisational strengthening was vital for any political party.
