'Divisive' approach of RSS is a 'threat' to India, says Digvijay Singh

New Delhi: RSS follows a “divisive” approach and it is a “threat” to India, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday said as he urged all “liberal” and modern-thinking people to come together to save the country from this “cancer” in a united manner.

“The RSS ideology is a threat to this country. And it has to be fought on ideological ground. This Sab Ka Sath Sab Ka Vikas is an empty slogan. They don’t believe in this slogan, for them it is another jumla (catch phrase).

“Therefore, all the liberal people who believe in communal harmony, who are modern in their thinking, who are tolerant which is the basic ethos have to get together to fight this cancer unitedly,” he said. The Rajya Sabha member made the remarks during a symposium ‘RSS and It’s Fake Nationalism’, organised by Ittehad at Indian Women’s Press Corps.

CPI national secretary D Raja, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, DU professor Shamsul Islam and JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid also addressed the symposium. Singh, considered as a bitter critic of RSS, further said the saffron outfit is an “unregistered” organisation which wants to grab power without being accountable for it and charged with following “divisive and communal” approach.

During his brief address, he also stressed that India is a country with diversity which cannot be bound together by a Hindu religion alone. Raja questioned the RSS’ claim of being nationalist organisation as he sought to know role the right wing outfit played in the country’s freedom struggle.

“They didn’t participate in country’s freedom struggle, but Congress and Communists did. So, it should not preach us on nationalism and instead, RSS should learn what nationalism is from us,” he said.

Raja hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his denunciation of alleged atrocities on Dalits, saying the latter should take action against cow protectors than making mere comments. AAP’s Sanjay Singh noted there have been “flaws” in the way Opposition fought RSS in the past. Taking jibe at the RSS, Singh said “speaking against RSS is being projected as speaking against nation”.

Tearing apart RSS’ stand over nationalism, Islam said the organisation is a “threat” to Hindus more than that to Muslims or Christians and urged Parliamentarians to expose its views in Parliament.