Narendra Modi’s obsession with glorifying the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has once again exposed the dangerous ideological tilt of his regime. On Independence Day, Modi hailed the RSS as the “world’s biggest NGO.” An outfit widely known for communal hatred, subversion of democracy, and links to political violence has now been rebranded by India’s Prime Minister as the world’s largest charitable organization.
The opposition did not mince words. For them, Modi’s remarks are not mere rhetoric but a calculated attempt to whitewash the RSS’s dark past and normalize its vision of “Ram Rajya” – an exclusivist Hindu Rashtra at odds with India’s constitutional values. Congress, left parties, and regional leaders slammed what they described as the “glorification of a terror outfit.”
A country that prides itself on secularism cannot afford to have its Prime Minister endorse an outfit that thrives on communal polarization.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera delivered perhaps the sharpest critique: “Where is the RSS’s registration certificate? An NGO must have one. Where are its bank accounts?” He then launched a stinging chronological attack on the Sangh, reminding Indians of its record: “Spying for the British during its first 25 years, dishonouring the Tricolour and Constitution in the next 25, playing temple-mosque politics in the following 25, and in the past 25 years, snatching the rights of Dalits and backward classes. Such an NGO should be shut down as soon as possible.”
Khera also underscored the RSS’s dubious role in Gandhi’s assassination, calling it the “Rashtriya Sandighda Sangathan” – a suspicious organization – rather than a legitimate NGO. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was equally scathing. He accused Modi of insulting the spirit of Independence Day by praising an organization that “opposed the freedom struggle, rejected the Constitution, and served colonial masters.”
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas echoed these sentiments, condemning the government’s decision to elevate Savarkar’s portrait above Gandhi, Bose, and Bhagat Singh in official advertisements. He called it a calculated attack on secular values and part of a broader ideological campaign to rewrite history in Hindutva’s image.
Beyond the opposition’s remarks lies a deeper concern. By branding the RSS as the “world’s biggest NGO,” Modi is attempting to legitimize an organization whose agenda undermines India’s secular fabric. The RSS never took part in the freedom struggle, has never sworn loyalty to the Constitution, and continues to push divisive majoritarian politics. The glorification of the Sangh is about reinforcing Hindutva hegemony: elevating Savarkar, whitewashing the RSS, and aligning India’s future with an exclusivist ideology.
Opposition leaders are right to call this out. A country that prides itself on secularism cannot afford to have its Prime Minister endorse an outfit that thrives on communal polarization. To present the RSS as a benevolent NGO is not only historically dishonest but politically dangerous. It normalizes hate in the garb of social service and erodes the constitutional promise of equality.
In the end, Modi’s words may have been intended as praise, but they have reignited old debates about the RSS’s role in India’s history. Far from emerging as the “world’s biggest NGO,” the Sangh stands exposed once again as an ideological project whose shadow continues to haunt the soul of Indian democracy.
The writer is an alumnus of QAU, MPhil scholar & a freelance columnist, based in Islamabad. He can be reached at fa7263125 @gmail.com