Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 28 (ANI): Telangana BJP spokesperson Prakash Reddy, on Sunday, lauded Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's recent statement about the organisational capacity of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh (RSS), as a wake-up call to Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi.

He hailed Congress Veteran Digvijaya's remarks on the BJP-RSS structure, the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the decentralisation of power.

'It is good to know that the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and a close ally of Rahul Gandhi has acknowledged the organisational structure of RSS,' Reddy said.

Although the Congress leader said he opposed the RSS ideology, Reddy said those ideologies drive the organisational structures of both the BJP and the RSS.

'Even though he said he differs from the ideology, the strength of the organisation is its ideology because of those ideological commitments, workers are developing the discipline and organisational skills,' Reddy told ANI.

The controversy arose after Digvijaya Singh on Saturday shared a black-and-white photograph from the 1990s, found on the social question-and-answer website Quora, showing a young Narendra Modi seated on the floor near senior BJP leader LK Advani at an event in Gujarat.

In a post shared on X, Singh noted that individuals who once worked at the grassroots level could rise through the organisational hierarchy to become Chief Minister and eventually Prime Minister. He described this as the 'power of organisation', while tagging senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, PM Modi, and the official handles of the Congress.

'I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots swayamsevak of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country? This is the power of the organisation. Jai Siva Ram. @INCIndia @INCMP@kharge @RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi @Jairam_Ramesh @narendramodi,' Singh's X post read.

As the post gained traction and garnered criticism, Singh issued a clarification later in the day, saying that while he appreciates strong organisational structures, he remains firmly opposed to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Responding to criticism over his social media post, Singh said his remarks had been misunderstood. 'I support the organisation. I am against the RSS and Modi ji. You have misunderstood. I have praised 'sangathan'. I was, am, and will remain a staunch opponent of the RSS and Modi. Is it a bad thing to strengthen and praise the organisation?' he said.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, 'I've been saying this from the beginning: I am opposed to the ideology of the RSS. They neither respect the Constitution nor the country's laws, and it's an unregistered organisation. But I admire their organisational capacity because an organisation that isn't even registered has become so powerful that the Prime Minister says from the Red Fort that it is the world's largest NGO.'

He further claimed the lack of transparency in the organisation, stating, 'If it is an NGO, then where are its rules and regulations? But still, I admire their organisational capacity.' (ANI)