The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a sharp criticism against Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his controversial remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his address to the Indian diaspora in Texas, USA. BJP leaders accused Gandhi of repeatedly defaming India during his foreign visits.

Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh led the charge, asserting that Gandhi lacked the understanding of the RSS, an organization deeply rooted in India’s values and culture. “To know about RSS, Rahul Gandhi will have to take many births. A traitor cannot know RSS,” Singh said, adding, “Those who go abroad and criticize the country cannot know RSS. It seems that Rahul Gandhi goes abroad only to defame India.”

In his Texas speech, Gandhi had expressed his party’s differences with the RSS, accusing the organization and its political affiliate, the BJP, of having a narrow vision of India. He claimed that the RSS promotes a singular idea of India, while the Congress believes in the country’s multiplicity of ideas and diversity.

“The RSS believes that India is one idea, and we believe that India is a multiplicity of ideas. We believe that everybody should be allowed to participate, allowed to dream, and should be given space regardless of their caste, language, religion, tradition, or history,” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader also attacked the BJP and RSS for their views on women, alleging that their ideology confines women to traditional domestic roles. “The BJP and RSS’ idea of women is to restrict them to the home and kitchen for cooking food. We, on the other hand, believe that women should aspire and lead us in every sector,” Gandhi remarked.

Escalating his criticism, Gandhi reiterated his stance that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are undermining India’s democratic principles and Constitution. He pointed to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, which he framed as a pivotal moment when many Indians recognized that the Prime Minister was, in his view, attacking the country’s foundational values.

Gandhi also made a symbolic reference to his first speech in Parliament, where he introduced the concept of ‘Abhayamudra’—a gesture symbolizing fearlessness, prevalent across Indian religions. He emphasized that this concept is central to India’s spiritual heritage, noting its presence in depictions of figures like Guru Nanak and Lord Shiva. Gandhi remarked that the BJP failed to grasp the significance of the symbol.