In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his Independence Day speech, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the organisation, calling it “swadeshi by words but foreign by heart.”
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Yadav also targeted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, claiming he joined the BJP solely to secure the CM’s chair. “At the first BJP convention, it was decided to follow a secular and socialist path. The Sangh Parivar’s path is different. Yeh muh se toh swadeshi hai lekin mann se videshi hai,” he said.
His remarks came after PM Modi praised RSS’s 100-year journey, calling it the “largest NGO in the world” and acknowledging its contributions to nation-building. “A hundred years ago, a movement was born, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Through service, dedication, organisation, and unparalleled discipline, the RSS has played a unique role in nation-building,” Modi said.
Founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, RSS is marking its centenary with nationwide outreach and celebratory events.
Akhilesh Yadav emphasised that India must strengthen its farmers and economy to compete globally. “From time to time, countries challenge us—sometimes via markets, sometimes via land. We must be prepared to face these challenges,” he said.
He further alleged that CM Yogi Adityanath “fooled the entire BJP,” claiming he neither aligned with the party’s ideology nor genuinely supported it. “He took membership of the BJP just to sit on the CM’s chair,” Yadav added.
Other opposition leaders also criticised PM Modi’s remarks. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi called the praise a breach of constitutional values, saying Hindutva ideology is exclusionary. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the mention of RSS from the Red Fort as “a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic.”