Shashi Tharoor Backs Digvijaya Singh, Calls for Stronger Congress Organisation

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday stressed the urgent need to strengthen the party organisation, backing senior leader Digvijaya Singh amid controversy over his recent remarks praising the organisational strength of the BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS.

Speaking on the occasion of the 140th Congress Foundation Day, Tharoor said internal dialogue within the party was both natural and necessary. Responding to questions about his interaction with Singh, Tharoor said, “We are friends, and having a conversation is natural. The organisation must be strengthened – there is no question about it.”

Calling the foundation day a moment for introspection, Tharoor added that it was a time to reflect on the Congress party’s legacy and its role in shaping India’s political history.

Controversy over Digvijaya Singh’s post

The remarks come a day after Digvijaya Singh shared a throwback photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the 1990s, praising the organisational structure of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

In the image, a young Modi is seen sitting on the floor as a grassroots worker, while BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani is seated on a chair. Singh described the photograph as “impactful”, saying it demonstrated how a cadre-based organisation could nurture leadership from the ground up.

The timing of the post — coinciding with a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body — led many to interpret it as a subtle message to the Congress leadership about the need for organisational reform.

Singh clarifies stance, BJP attacks Congress

Facing backlash, Digvijaya Singh later clarified that his remarks were limited to organisational strength and did not reflect ideological support for either the BJP or the RSS, reiterating that he remained firmly opposed to both.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, seized on the controversy to attack the Congress. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan described Singh’s remarks as an “open dissent” against Congress leadership and questioned whether Rahul Gandhi would respond.

As the Congress marks 140 years of its existence, the episode has brought renewed focus on internal debates around organisational revival, decentralisation and leadership development at a time when the party is seeking to rebuild its electoral strength.