Digvijaya Singh praises RSS-BJP organization, urges Congress reform

New Delhi: Seasoned Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday set the cat among the pigeons by tweeting, just ahead of a CWC meeting, an old photograph of a younger Narendra Modi with senior BJP leaders, along with politically loaded praise for the organisational structure of the RSS-BJP. Citing Modi's rise from party worker to Chief Minister and later Prime Minister as an example of organisational strength, Singh contrasted this with the Congress' current drift.

Although Singh later reiterated that he remains a staunch opponent of the RSS-BJP and of Modi, his remarks on the rival camp's organisational discipline were widely read in political circles, including within the Congress, as yet another nudge to the Rahul Gandhi-led AICC to focus urgently on strengthening the party structure - an issue Singh has repeatedly underlined both inside and outside party forums. Posting the photograph - which shows BJP leaders including L. K. Advani seated on chairs while a young Modi sits on the floor before them - Singh wrote on X: "I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots swayamsevak of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh, BJP sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country. This is the power of the organization. Jai Siya Ram."

He also tagged Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Prime Minister Modi in the post. The 'Jai Siya Ram' sign-off - Singh's characteristic variation on the BJP's 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan - was seen as equally deliberate.


The post has triggered fresh chatter, with many interpreting it as a reminder of Singh's long-standing demand for reinforcing the Congress' organisational base, an area overseen by Team Rahul, amid continuing electoral setbacks.

Only recently, Singh had renewed that call - including for greater decentralisation - when he tweeted on December 19 urging Rahul Gandhi to look inward organisationally. "Rahul Gandhiji, you are absolutely 'Bang On' in matters of socio-economic issues. Full marks. But now please look at the Indian National Congress also... You have started with 'Sangathan Srijan' (a DCC decentralisation plan). But we need more pragmatic decentralised functioning... It is not easy to 'convince' you!! Jai Siya Ram," he wrote.