Rahul Gandhi Criticizes RSS Following Controversial Remarks by Ram Madhav
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi today directed sharp criticism at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav made contentious comments regarding India’s oil imports. In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi referred to the RSS as the “Rashtriya Surrender Sangh,” asserting that Madhav’s remarks exposed the organization’s true nature.
“Rashtriya Surrender Sangh. Farzi nationalism in Nagpur. Pure servility in USA,” Gandhi stated, adding that Madhav’s comments had unveiled the “Sangh’s true nature.”
This development follows Madhav’s recent statement, where he claimed that India had aligned closely with U.S. interests by halting oil purchases from Iran and Russia, despite these efforts not being acknowledged by the Trump administration. In a discussion at the Hudson Institute that included former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and former diplomat Elizabeth Threlkeld, Madhav remarked, “We agreed to a 50 per cent tariff. Agreed means, we did not say anything. We maintained our patience.”
During the same discussion, he emphasized that India agreed to higher tariffs in a new trade deal while questioning what issues existed where India was supposedly lagging.
The Congress party seized upon Madhav’s remarks, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lost the authority to govern. K.C. Venugopal, a senior Congress leader, stated on X, “Clear admission by a senior RSS leader – PM Modi is dancing to Washington’s tunes.” He cited a historical context, saying, “There was once a time when the U.S.’s 7th Fleet was in the Bay of Bengal, and India didn’t budge. Now, a compromised PM has handed over India’s sovereignty to the U.S.”
Venugopal reiterated that Gandhi and the Opposition had long argued that India had lost its independent voice on the global stage, concluding that Modi should resign following these developments.
In response to the backlash, Madhav later apologized, stating, “What I said was wrong. India didn’t agree to stopping import of oil from Russia anytime.” He clarified that India had protested against the imposition of the 50 percent tariff and noted that he had attempted to make a limited counterpoint during the discussion.
Madhav, alongside RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, is currently visiting the United States and participated in events at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
