Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi has once again lashed out at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of attempting to erase India’s diverse histories, cultures, and traditions. Speaking at a protest organized by the DMK students’ wing against the University Grants Commission (UGC) draft rules, Gandhi argued that the RSS seeks to impose a singular narrative on the country.
“I have been saying now for some time that the aim of the RSS is the eradication of all other histories, all other cultures, all other traditions in this country. That is their starting point, and that is what they want to achieve,” Gandhi said. He also criticized the RSS for their alleged attack on India’s Constitution, suggesting it was part of their broader agenda to dominate India’s cultural and educational landscape.
“They attacked the Constitution because they wanted to impose one idea, which is their idea, one history, one tradition, and one language on this country,” Gandhi added.
The Congress MP emphasized that the RSS’s interference with the education system, particularly the changes proposed in the UGC draft rules, is a continued effort to push their ideological agenda. “This attempt that they’re doing with the education system of the different states is just another attempt to push their agenda…” he said.
Gandhi expressed his support for the ongoing protests, such as the one led by the DMK students’ wing, and called for more demonstrations to hold the RSS accountable. “I wish that multiple protests like this happen because the RSS needs to be made to understand that they cannot attack the Constitution. They cannot attack our states. They cannot attack our cultures, our traditions, and our histories,” he urged.
The protest in New Delhi was organized in response to the UGC’s new draft guidelines, which, according to the DMK, threaten the federal structure of India’s education system. The draft rules propose changes in faculty recruitment and vice-chancellor selection processes, expanding eligibility criteria and altering subject qualifications for faculty positions.