After bombarding former President Pranab Mukherjee with criticism for deciding to attend an RSS function in Nagpur, the Congress lauded the veteran leader for his speech to the RSS cadre in which he dwelt at the issues of pluralism, intolerance and hatred in the context of nationalism and patriotism.
While top Congress leaders took to the social media and used words like “pain” and “anguish” to describe Mukherjee’s visit to the RSS headquarters earlier in the day, the party leadership did not waste any time in interpreting Mukherjee’s speech, which according to them, was showing “mirror” to the RSS and its ideology.
“Pranab Mukherjee has shown the ‘Mirror of Truth’ to the RSS at RSS headquarters in Nagpur by reminding them of India’s ‘pluralism’, ‘tolerance’, ‘secularism’ and ‘inclusiveness’ as an article of faith and soul of the country. He particularly highlighted the imperative need of freeing the public discourse from all forms of violence — physical and verbal, besides putting compassion, harmony and non-violence as the centre stage of our public life,” Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.
He admitted that Mukherjee’s acceptance to visit the RSS had caused wide ranging discussion, comment, concern and even consternation amongst a large section of Indians, who have an innate belief in our foundational values of democracy, pluralism, diversity of cultures, of ethnicity, of languages and of religious practices.
Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma took to Twitter to express his anguish on Mukherjee’s decision to attend the RSS function. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also expressed his disapproval at the former President visiting the RSS headquarters.
Reacting to Mukherjee’s speech, the Congress said the former President also reminded the present Modi Government of following ‘Rajdharma’, founded upon our diversity, non-violence, multiculturalism and assimilation of ideas.
“He particularly reminded the Prime Minister that ‘happiness of people is the happiness of ruler, their welfare is his welfare’. Indicating the unchecked exercise of authority and attack on institutions in garb of a self-professed definition of ‘Pseudo Nationalism’, he reminded the RSS as also the Prime Minister that, ‘Indian Nationalism is Constitutional patriotism,” Surjewala said at a hurriedly called Press briefing at the AICC headquarters.
The Congress later questioned whether the visit of former President would solve any purpose and if they are ready to listen, change and admit’ its mistakes both of ‘thought and action’.
“Is RSS ready to ‘adapt’ to India’s foundational values of pluralism, tolerance, non-violence, secularism and diversityIJ Is RSS ready to give up its prejudice vis-a-vis ‘women, Dalits, backwards, minorities and the deprived’IJ Is RSS ready to accept ‘scientific temper’ and ‘rationality’IJ Is RSS ready to give up its inherent character of ‘subjugation, domination and violence’IJ,” Surjewala stated and sought to know if the RSS believe that by merely inviting the former President to an event will give it the much elusive social and political sanctity.
“let the RSS and the BJP publically commit today to change its character, orientation, thought process and path and accept the sagacious advise of their guest, Pranab Mukherjee,” the party said.
Earlier, Patel, who is UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s confidant and has been her political secretary, spoke out against the decision of the former President to address an RSS event. “I did not expect this from Pranab da!” Patel had said in his one line tweet.
Mukherjee’s visit to the RSS headquarters has caused much unease in the Congress with a host of Congress leaders, including his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee opposing the visit. The visit has given rise to a lot of speculation and has been opposed. Some Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh and CK Jaffar Sharief had written to Mukherjee to dissuade him from going to Nagpur.