BHOPAL: (AMN) Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday created a storm in the Sangh Parivar when he equated the RSS with banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
At a press conference here Rahul Gandhi categorically described the RSS as ‘fanatical’ and ‘fundamentalist’ organisation and said it was no different from proscribed outfit SIMI.
“Both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and hold fundamentalist views,” he stressed before the media persons.
When asked that SIMI was a banned outfit, which was not the case with RSS, Rahul said that this did not matter much for him.
Rahul Gandhi is on a tour of Madhya Pradesh inviting youth to join congress party. He however clarified that those who have fundamental and fanatical view has no place in the Party.
On Ayodhya verdict, Rahul said it neither condoned the demolition of the Babri Masjid nor the large-scale violence that followed the December 6, 1992 event.
He said the distressed parties were free to approach the apex court against the verdict if they so desired.
Rahul Gandhi has lost mental balance: BJP
Meanwhile the BJP and RSS have reacted sharply over the Rahul comments in Bhopal.
Reacting strongly to the remark, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the young leader seems to have lost his mental balance and has shown political immaturity by his comments.
"Only a sick mind can do it. He seems to have lost his mental balance. RSS is an institution of nationalist thought while SIMI is a banned outfit” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
The RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav suggested Rahul to brush up his knowledge before ‘making meaningless’ statements. “He should know the difference between RSS and banned outfits and know the history of the Congress party, which has been accused of fundamentalism in the last six decades,” Madhav said.
Defending Rahul, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh said: “What Rahul Gandhi has said is correct. RSS has no answer to what Gandhi has said. Congress does not have to learn history and culture with RSS. They are masters in spreading rumour,”.
Singh said: “Ram Madhav should read history. BJP called Jinnah secular while Congress always fought against his Muslim League. RSS supported the British during freedom struggle while we fought against them.”
