A crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), convened to strategise against the government, was overshadowed by internal discord after senior party leader Digvijaya Singh publicly lauded the organisational machinery of the RSS and the BJP.
Singh's Social Media Post Sparks Controversy
Timed with the CWC gathering, Singh took to social media platform X to share a photograph from the 1990s showing Narendra Modi, then a grassroots worker, sitting on the ground while senior BJP leaders like L.K. Advani were seated on chairs. In his post, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister described it as "very impressive" how an RSS volunteer and BJP worker rose to become Chief Minister and then Prime Minister, calling it the "strength of organisation."
Observers noted that his remarks appeared aimed at highlighting the urgent need for organisational reforms within the Congress party. While the post delighted the BJP, it raised significant eyebrows within his own party ranks.
Internal Critique and BJP's Counterattack
During the CWC meeting itself, Digvijaya Singh reportedly expressed concerns about "over-centralisation" in the Congress and pushed for greater decentralisation of power. He questioned why district and state chiefs were appointed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and pointed out that decisions taken at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir, such as setting up an election management department, remained unimplemented.
The BJP swiftly seized on Singh's comments to target the Congress leadership. Party spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi contrasted the two parties' systems, stating that while the BJP's structure recognises talent from the grassroots—a "gudri ke laal" like Modi—the Congress focuses only on "Jawahar ke laal." Trivedi also invoked former US President Barack Obama's memoir, which described Rahul Gandhi as having a "nervous, uninformed quality," to question the Congress leader's understanding.
Clarification and Underlying Message
As his comments triggered a political storm, Digvijaya Singh issued a clarification. He asserted that he had merely praised the organisational strength of the Sangh Parivar and that his critique of the RSS and Modi remained unchanged. "I was, am and will be a trenchant critic of the RSS and Modi," he said, while rhetorically asking if strengthening one's own organisation was a bad thing.
Sources indicated that in the CWC meeting, Singh also criticised the government's attempts to undo decentralisation under the MGNREGA scheme through legislative changes. He coupled this with a push for internal decentralisation, warning about the presence of "sleeper cells" within the Congress that needed to be identified. His overarching message, linking his social media post and meeting remarks, was that while Rahul Gandhi "can do it," it was not easy to "convince" him, pointing to a need for systemic change.
The episode has laid bare the ongoing tensions within the Congress regarding its structure and leadership model, even as it tries to unite against the ruling dispensation.
