Digvijaya Singh’s Modi-RSS Praise Sparks Rift Buzz Within Congress

Signs of internal disquiet within the Congress surfaced on Saturday after senior leader Digvijaya Singh shared a throwback photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and publicly praised the organisational strength of the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The post, made on the day the Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in New Delhi, has been widely interpreted as a pointed message to the party’s top leadership. In the image, believed to date back to the mid-1990s, a young Narendra Modi is seen sitting on the floor beside senior BJP leader L K Advani, who is seated on a chair. The photograph is reportedly from the 1996 swearing-in ceremony of former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela.

Praise for organisational rise

In his social media post, Digvijaya Singh described the image as “impactful”, highlighting how a grassroots RSS worker could rise through the ranks to become a chief minister and eventually the prime minister. He termed this journey an example of strong organisational structure, ending his post with the phrase “Jai Siya Ram”.

Notably, Singh tagged Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, signalling that the message was intended for the party high command.

BJP seizes opportunity

The post quickly triggered political reactions, with the BJP using it to question the Congress’s internal functioning. BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, claiming that Singh’s remarks had exposed the Congress leadership’s alleged lack of internal democracy.

The episode comes amid ongoing tensions within the Congress, particularly after Shashi Tharoor drew criticism from party colleagues for repeatedly praising Prime Minister Modi and certain Centre policies.

Clarification and earlier remarks

As the controversy escalated, Digvijaya Singh clarified that his remarks were limited to appreciating organisational strength and that he would continue to politically oppose the BJP. However, his post has been viewed in the context of his recent calls for internal reforms within the Congress.

Earlier this month, Singh publicly urged the party leadership to adopt a more decentralised and pragmatic organisational structure and suggested that internal decision-making processes required reform. In that post, he also remarked that convincing Rahul Gandhi on organisational matters was “not easy”.

The episode has once again highlighted simmering internal differences within the Congress, even as the party attempts to project unity and sharpen its political strategy ahead of upcoming electoral challenges.