RAIPUR: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) lashed out at the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and said if the elements engaged in unifying India are based on hatred instead of affection then the exercise would look more like a political gimmick.
The Congress on its Twitter message in the backdrop of the Yatra captioned: “To free the country from shackles of hate and undo the damage done by BJP-RSS.”
Briefing the media on the concluding day of the Sangh’s All India Coordination meeting in Raipur on Monday, the RSS Sah Sarkaryavah Manmohan Vaidya said they are nurturing hatred against the RSS for a long time.
"Bharat may connect with ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ but our experiences clearly suggest that the people in huge strength are now associating with the ideology of Hindutva", said RSS leader.
When reminded of the Congress tweet that slammed the RSS-BJP through Khaki shorts, Vaidya retorted, “What should I comment when they don't even know that the uniform of Sangh has changed. We have people who make sacrifices and work hard”.
The Congress however countered that both RSS and BJP are apparently “agitated” with the ongoing ‘Yatra’.
"RSS shouldn't teach a lesson on patriotism to Rahul Gandhi whose father and grandmother had sacrificed their lives for the country. The Sangh works on the divisive agenda like the British regime when the nation was fighting for independence", said Sushil Anand Shukla, chairman of Congress media cell.
The RSS leader said that the key office bearers of 36 organisations inspired by the RSS, mainly discussed ways to encourage local products instead of branded, preparing Hindutva-related courses in Indian education institutes and also focused on employment-centric inclusive new economic India index instead of GDP, promoting organic farming, usage of Indian languages in courts’ proceedings among others.