Congress reminds PM Modi of Sardar Patel's observations on RSS

A political row broke out on Wednesday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its contributions to nation-building, prompting the Congress to remind him of historical criticism directed at the organisation by India’s first home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in the aftermath of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1998.

Taking to X, senior Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh questioned the prime minister’s stance, citing a letter written by Patel to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on 18 July 1948.

“The PM has spoken much of the RSS this morning. Is he even aware of what Sardar Patel wrote to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on July 18, 1948?” Ramesh asked, sharing excerpts from the letter.

In the letter, Patel, then serving as the Union Home Minister, wrote: 'As regards the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhiji’s murder is sub-judice and I should not like to say anything about the participation of the two organisations, but our reports do confirm that, as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible...'

He further warned: 'The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of government and the State. Our reports show that those activities, despite the ban, have not died down. Indeed, as time has marched on, the RSS circles are becoming more defiant and are indulging in their subversive activities in an increasing measure…'

In a separate post, Ramesh also referred to a speech delivered by Patel in Jaipur on 19 December 1948, during which he reportedly spoke strongly against the RSS. Citing a report published in the Hindustan Times the following day, Ramesh quoted Patel as saying: “It is our determined resolve that we will not allow RSS or any other communal organisation to throw the country back on the path of slavery or disintegration.”

PM Modi lauds RSS

Earlier in the day, PM Modi, while addressing the centenary celebrations of the RSS, hailed the organisation’s long-standing commitment to national service and its role during the freedom struggle.

“The Sangh has fought against the atrocities of the British. Its only interest has always been love towards the nation,” he claimed, noting that RSS members had allegedly sheltered freedom fighters and that its leaders were imprisoned during the independence movement.

The prime minister also highlighted the "adversity" faced by the organisation over the years, particularly the post-independence ban imposed following Gandhi’s assassination. “The RSS has never been bitter, despite attempts to make false cases against it, attempts to ban it and other challenges, because we are part of a society where we accept both the good and the bad,” Modi said.

He lauded the Sangh’s resilience, stating that the organisation continued to serve society despite "repeated attacks and allegations".

As far as facts are concerned, the RSS was banned in February 1948 by the home ministry following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse, who was a former member of the organisation. The ban was lifted later that year after the RSS agreed to comply with certain conditions set by the government.

The resurfacing of Patel’s remarks by the Congress comes amid growing political debate over the Sangh’s role in shaping modern India, as it completes 100 years since its founding in 1925.