Congress leader Digvijaya Singh accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of distorting Sanatan Dharma and dividing the country along religious lines through “Hindutva,”, drawing sharp reactions from the BJP.
“Today, no one speaks of the Hindu religion; people speak of Sanatan Dharma. “The discourse in this country has shifted to constantly harping on Hinduism, driven by the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad promoting ‘Hindutva’, a term coined by Savarkar. India belongs to everyone. The word Hindu does not appear anywhere in our scriptures; be it the Vedas, Upanishads, or Puranas.
Because of this, rifts have been created across the country, between Hindus and Muslims, between Hindus and Sikhs, and between Hindus and Christians.
Unity in diversity is our strength,” Singh, in a video posted on X, said. The 79-year-old Congress leader – who will undertake a ‘Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra’, a foot march from Ujjain to Ayodhya to protest alleged religious exploitation – added that the word “Hindu” does not appear in any religious scriptures today, accusing the VHP of distorting the “Sanatan Dharma. This is the Sanatan Dharma that the VHP and the RSS are distorting,” he said.
“Many Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh, have lost their minds. “This is the very same Digvijaya Singh who linked the Hindu ‘saffron’ colour to terrorism; he is the one who coined the term ‘saffron terror. Now, suddenly, he has begun to express concern for Hindus. He is the same Digvijaya Singh who criticised and raised questions regarding the form of the Ram Lalla idol immediately after its installation in Ayodhya.
And this is the very same Congress party that never wanted the temple of Lord Ram to be built in Ayodhya,” he said. The party, stuck in a colonial mindset, has always tried to brand Ram devotees, saints, Sanatanis, and those who wear saffron as terrorists, with Digvijaya Singh playing a major role in it,” he said.
Responding to Digvijaya Singh’s allegations, Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang tore into the Congress leader, calling for strict legal action against him for repeatedly insulting Hindus, saints, and Sanatan Dharma. “Digvijaya Singh has always been insulting Sanatan, Hindus, Hindu devotees, sadhus, and saints. He always promotes the politics of appeasement. These are the same Congress and Congress leaders who opposed the Ram Temple, hatched a conspiracy to demolish the Ram Setu. I am surprised that he makes such nonsensical statements and engages in such baseless rhetoric without any facts. This is objectionable and regrettable.
I believe legal action should also be taken regarding his statements,” Vishwas Sarang said.
