The RSS on Monday said its chief Mohan Bhagwat had not compared the Indian Army with Sangh volunteers and his remarks on the matter were "misrepresented" even as Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju explained that the RSS head only said that it would take six to seven months for a person to be a trained soldier and be ready to fight along with the Army in emergency.
Bhagwat's remarks at an RSS workers' meet in Bihar on Sunday were made as a comparison between common people and Sangh volunteers (swayamsevaks) and were in "no way a comparison" with the Indian Army, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachaar Pramukh Manmohan Vaidya said in a statement.
"Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat's speech in Muzaffarpur (Bihar) is being misrepresented. Bhagwat had said that if situation arises and the Constitution permits, Indian Army would take six months to prepare the society whereas Sangh swayamsevaks can be trained in three days, as swayamsevaks practise discipline regularly," according to the statement.
Bhagwat's reported remarks that the RSS could "prepare" military personnel faster than the Army have drawn criticism from the Opposition parties, with Congress president Rahul Gandhi terming it an "insult" to every Indian and demanding an apology.
Rijiju hit out at the Congress saying it should not try to politicise the Army. "Indian Army is our pride. In emergency situation (not Congress emergency), every Indian must volunteer to stand with Defence Forces. Bhagwat ji only said it takes 6-7 months for a person to be a trained soldier & if Constitution permits RSS cadres has the ability to contribute (sic)," the minister said in a tweet.
In another tweet, Rijiju targeted the Congress saying "who had asked for proof of surgical strike from Indian ArmyIJ Never try to politicise Indian Army. Congress tried to dilute the Army in 2004 on religious lines by head counting but Army firmly stood the ground," he said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) questioned why a minister was defending the RSS chief and called him a "Minister of Sangh".
"After the tweet of Rijiju, it has become even more evident that this government is being remote-controlled by the RSS," Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien alleged adding " Rijiju is not a minister of state but a minister of Sangh. A minister of the government is supporting and defending the RSS."
In Agartala, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who had served in the RSS and at one time was its contact man with media, reportedly said Bhagwat might have made the comments to highlight the organisation's "tatparta" (state of readiness).
Madhav said that as an RSS volunteer himself, he knows that the organisation has huge respect for the Army for its valour and sacrifice.
"I don't know what he exactly said...He would have said so to highlight the readiness of RSS volunteers. RSS volunteers are always willing to stand with the Army for the nation's security," he said.
BJP chief Amit Shah said he had heard of them only through social media and would react after getting to know what he had exactly said. Shah also rejected the opposition's criticism of the central and Jammu and Kashmir governments following a terror attack on an Army camp in Sunjwan in the state. He asserted that more terrorists were killed under this government's tenure than any other during the same period of time.