New Delhi, August 16: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the biggest Non- governmental organization (NGO) in the world, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the Independence Day address at the Red Fort in Delhi, he placed the right-wing organisation in the national spotlight.
Modi, during his address hailed the RSS, which is completing its 100 years of commission on this Vijaya Dashami, saying the RSS has taught true volunteering in India.
Modi said, "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Hundred years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'Vyakti Nirman Se Rashtra Nirman', with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to welfare of our motherland," Modi said.
Modi's journey, from an RSS pracharak to a three-term Prime Minister, mirrors the organisation's own rise in scale and influence that he seemingly highlighted in the speech.
By praising the RSS as an NGO for its social work and stressing that "the nation is built not just by the government or those in power", Modi highlighted what he called the group's "dedication, organisation, and discipline".
This was likely an acknowledgement of the RSS's assistance during emergencies, natural calamities, and rural development – most notably during the Kerala and Assam floods in 2018 and 2022, respectively, Cyclone Fani in Odisha, and through the RSS's Seva Bharati organisation, which ran over 1,000 relief camps nationwide during Covid-19.
By congratulating the RSS in its centenary year, Modi has brought its role in nation-building into the public consciousness through his Independence Day address.
However, Opposition Congress vehemently criticised the mention as appeasement to the RSS for political gain.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said it was nothing but a "desperate attempt to appease" the RSS in the run-up to his 75th birthday scheduled next month.
