Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he described as the “glorification of the RSS” in the Independence Day address, warning that such remarks distort history and undermine the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters.

In a statement from his office, Vijayan alleged that Modi’s tribute to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was nothing short of “an attempt to assign the fatherhood of independence to an organisation that had no role in the struggle, and was in fact banned after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.”

“The Prime Minister’s use of Independence Day to glorify the RSS is tantamount to insulting the day itself,” Vijayan declared. He accused the ruling party of indulging in “a denial of history,” and said such “ridiculous measures cannot whitewash the poisonous legacy of the RSS, which is steeped in communal politics and division.”

PM Modi, addressing the nation on Friday, had lauded the RSS’s centenary, calling it “a proud and glorious journey of national service.” Referring to it as “the world’s biggest NGO,” Modi said, “A hundred years ago, an organisation was born. Its 100 years of service is a very proud and glorious page in India’s history.”

Vijayan shot back sharply, claiming that this was not an isolated remark but part of a “larger conspiracy.” Citing the Union Petroleum Ministry’s controversial Independence Day greeting card that displayed V.D. Savarkar’s image above Mahatma Gandhi’s, he said, “The praise for the RSS and the deliberate sidelining of Gandhi are connected moves to rewrite history and to bury the story of sacrifice, love, and unity with one of hatred and division.”

The veteran Marxist leader called on citizens across the country to resist such attempts: “The RSS carries the dirty burden of hatred, communalism, and riots. India must stand united to defend the values of the freedom struggle against this distortion.”