NEW DELHI, Aug 4: The Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh has advised the Congress leaders to rise above politics and celebrate the 75 years of India’s independence as a show of unity.
The RSS response came a day after Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders launched an attack on the saffron organisation for not hoisting the Tricolour at its Nagpur headquarters for 52 years after Independence. The RSS on Thursday said people should rise above politics and focus on celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
“Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is a national festival and the entire country has to celebrate it together. On July 9, the RSS had announced its support to all programmes being organised by the Government of India, state governments or other organisations. The RSS has called upon all its workers to enthusiastically participate in all such programmes. There should be no politics over Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. All should rise above politics and focus on celebrating the festival,” RSS publicity in-charge Sunil Ambekar said.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders changed their profile pictures on social media platforms to the Tricolour, Rahul on Wednesday targeted the RSS, saying it had not hoisted the national flag at its headquarters for 52 years after Independence.
“The history is witness that those who are running the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign have come from that anti-national organisation which did not unfurl the Tricolour for 52 years. Since the freedom struggle, they have not been able to stop the Congress and will not be able to do so now,” he tweeted.
Congress chief spokesperson Jairam Ramesh posted screenshots of Twitter handles of the RSS and its chief Mohan Bhagwat and tweeted: “We have put the picture of our leader Nehru holding the national flag as our DP. But it appears the PM’s message has not reached his family. Will those who did not unfurl the Tricolor on their Nagpur headquarters for 52 years listen to the PM?”
Rahul’s attack came on a day BJP leaders and ministers questioned the absence of Opposition MPs at a Tiranga bike rally from Red Fort to Parliament organised by the Culture Ministry. Rahul and senior Congress leaders too changed their social media display pictures to an image of India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag.
(Manas Dasgupta)