'Dishonours spirit of martyrs': Opposition hits out at Modi over nod to RSS at Independence Day speech

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it nothing but a 'desperate attempt to appease" the RSS in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month'.

New Delhi: Opposition on Friday pounded on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his praise of RSS during his Independence Day speech, saying it is a "desperate attempt" to cling to power while "dishonouring" the memory of martyrs and the spirit of our freedom movement.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the "most troubling element" of Modi's speech from the Red Fort was his "name-checking" of the RSS, which was a "blatant breach of the spirit" of a constitutional, secular republic.

He said it was nothing but a "desperate attempt to appease" the RSS in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month.

"Decisively weakened after the events of 4 June, 2024, he is now at their complete mercy and reliant on Mohan Bhagwat’s good offices for the extension of his tenure post-September. This politicisation of Independence Day for personal and organisational gain is deeply corrosive to our democratic ethos. The PM was tired today. Soon he will be retired," he said.

CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby said it was "deeply regrettable" that Modi through his Independence Day speech chose to praise an organisation with a "dubious historical record" and that had "no role whatsoever in these struggles and has consistently sought to undermine national unity along religious lines" .

"Historians have documented its role in inciting communal riots and other violence. Notably, the organisation was banned following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of our freedom struggle. By lauding the RSS...Modi has dishonoured the memory of our martyrs and the spirit of our freedom movement. This is profoundly unacceptable and shameful," he said.

Senior RJD MP Manoj K Jha said Independence Day speech was not an occasion to distort history, send a coded message and use the language of dog whistle.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said glorifying the RSS in an Independence Day speech is an insult to the freedom struggle. "The RSS and its ideological allies served as British foot soldiers. They never joined the fight for independence and hated Gandhi more than they ever opposed the British," he posted on 'X'.

Congress Social Media and Digital Platforms Chairperson Supriya Shrinate said it was sad that Modi took the name of an organisation banned by Sardar Vallabhai Patel from the ramparts of Red Fort. "The reality is that PM Modi gave less importance to freedom fighters when he talked about the RSS from the ramparts of Red Fort," she said.