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Rahul's remarks leave BJP, RSS fuming
Wednesday, October 06, 2010 10:09:37 PM,
IANS
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Related Article |
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Little
difference between SIMI and RSS: Rahul Gandhi
In unusually strident remarks, Rahul Gandhi October 06 described
the RSS as "fanatical", saying it was no different from banned
terror outfit SIMI and that both hold "fundamentalist" views.
"I know only that both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and
hold fundamentalist views," he said at a
»
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Bhopal/New
Delhi: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's
comparison of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the
outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) Wednesday
prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to say that only people
who have lost their mental balance can make such remarks.
The RSS, too, hit back at Gandhi
while the Congress defended its leader's comment.
Speaking in Bhopal, Gandhi Wednesday termed the RSS as "fanatical"
and equated it with the SIMI. He said both the SIMI and the RSS
held fundamentalist views.
"I know only that both the SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and hold
fundamentalist views," Gandhi said.
His remarks came a few days after the Allahabad High Court's
Ayodhya verdict which has set off speculation that the Sangh
Parivar may revive the Ram temple movement.
The Congress leader said that it did not matter much to him
whether the RSS was a banned outfit or not. He was responding to
questions on how he could compare the Sangh Parivar organisation
with a banned outfit.
In New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar attacked Gandhi
for comparing the RSS with the banned SIMI.
"This shows affected mentality. Only people who have lost their
mental balance can make such a comparison," Javadekar said.
"The SIMI is a banned terrorist organisation. The RSS is a school
of nationalism which has been working for the past 85 years. He
(Gandhi) is making statements only for political benefit,"
Javadekar said.
He added that Gandhi's comments reflected "immaturity and lack of
knowledge".
Reacting to Gandhi's remarks, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said that
people who make such utterances have to first understand India and
the Indian society well. "It's not enough to know only Italy and
Colombia," he said.
Asking Gandhi to brush up his knowledge before making "meaningless
statements", Madhav said the Congress general secretary should
know the difference between the RSS and banned outfits.
He should know the history of Congress "which has been accused of
fundamentalism in the last six decades", said Madhav.
In Bhubaneswar, the Bajarang Dal's national chief Subhash Chauhan
said: "I never expected Rahul Gandhi to turn so senile early in
life so as to forget the difference between patriots and
anti-nationals."
The Congress, in turn, defended Gandhi's remarks, saying the RSS
had no answer to his criticism.
"What Rahul Gandhi has said is correct. The RSS has no answer to
what Gandhi has said. The Congress does not have to learn history
and culture from the RSS. They are known masters in spreading
rumour," All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay
Singh said.
Referring to the RSS reaction to Gandhi's remarks, Singh said that
the RSS spokesman should read history.
He said RSS supported the British during the freedom struggle
while a senior BJP leader had called founder of Pakistan M.A.
Jinnah secular.
He said the Congress has been fighting fundamentalist ideology
whether it concerned Hindus or Muslims.
The Congress leader said a number of people belonging to the Sangh
Parivar organisations have been found to be involved in terror
incidents. "It is time the RSS introspected on what people
associated with it are doing," he said.
Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said that Gandhi made
a political comment and reply to any such comment should be
civilised.
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Little
difference between SIMI and RSS: Rahul Gandhi
In unusually strident remarks, Rahul Gandhi October 06 described
the RSS as "fanatical", saying it was no different from banned
terror outfit SIMI and that both hold "fundamentalist" views.
"I know only that both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and
hold fundamentalist views," he said at a
»
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