In a sharp rebuke, Congress, declared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) irrelevant to the protection of the Constitution, democracy, and society. The statement came in response to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's first public address following the establishment of the coalition government at the Centre.
Pawan Khera, Congress' head of media and publicity, delivered a scathing critique, stating, "Mohan Bhagwat ji, you reap what you sow. The fault is not of the soil, the fault is of the gardener." Khera's comments highlighted Bhagwat's silence on several critical issues, accusing him and the RSS of failing to act or speak out during significant crises.
?When farmers were facing the wrath of the weather and police just outside the capital, you were silent. When a Dalit girl was raped and murdered in Hathras, you were silent. When the rapists of Bilkis Bano were released and your ideological brothers welcomed them, you were silent. When Dalits were being urinated upon, you were silent. When Pehlu Khan and Akhlaq were killed, you were silent. When Kanhaiya Lal?s killers? links with the BJP were exposed, you were silent," Khera listed.
Khera further criticized, ?Your silence and Narendra Modi have made you and the Sangh irrelevant. You?ve been made irrelevant by Amit Shah and the BJP. Your last chance was when the BJP leaders were talking about changing the Constitution, you should have spoken out but you remained silent. What is the use of speaking now??
He asserted that the Constitution, democracy, and society can "protect and reboot" themselves without the need for the RSS or Bhagwat.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh echoed Khera?s sentiments, sharing a Hindi couplet by Kabir on social media: ??Karta raha so kyon kiya, ab kari kyon pachtaye, boye pedh babool ka, amua kahan se paye?? (loosely translating to ?you shall reap what you sow?).
In his speech, Bhagwat expressed concerns about the ongoing violence in Manipur, emphasizing the priority of addressing the situation in the conflict-ridden northeastern state. Speaking at the conclusion of the ?Karyakarta Vikas Varg- Dwitiya? programme at Dr. Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan in Reshimbagh, Nagpur, he remarked on the detrimental nature of societal conflicts and underscored the importance of unity among India?s diverse communities.
