PM's birthday wish to RSS chief a "desperate bid to curry favour," says Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): Congress General Secretary in-charge communications, and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trying to "curry favour" with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after wishing the Sangh's chief Mohan Bhagwat on his 75th birthday.
"The Prime Minister, in his desperate bid to curry favour with the RSS leadership, has written an over-the-top tribute to Mohan Bhagwat on his 75th birthday today," Jairam Ramesh said in an X post.
He further criticised the Prime Minister for not mentioning Mahatma Gandhi's "first Satyagraha call" given on September 11, 1906, sarcastically saying that he does not expect PM Modi to remember the origin of satyagraha.
"The PM has recalled that it was on Sept 11, 1893, that Swami Vivekananda gave his immortal speech in Chicago. The PM has also recalled that the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks in the US took place on Sept 11, 2001. But not surprisingly, the PM has not mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi first gave the call for satyagraha on Sept 11, 1906, in Johannesburg. That was when the world first heard of this revolutionary idea," Ramesh said.
On September 11, 1906, Mahatma Gandhi was living in South Africa. During that time, he chaired a mass meeting of over 3000 people at the Empire Theatre in down town Johannesburg to protest against an ordinance which made it compulsory for Asian persons to carry passes and register for them by giving finger prints, according to the High Commission of India in Pretoria, South Africa and concurrently accredited to Lesotho.
"Of course it is too much to expect the PM to remember the origin of satyagraha since the very word satya is alien to him. The PM, who himself claimed to be non-biological, makes his pravachans appear as if they are God-se," Ramesh added.
Earlier today, PM Modi praised Bhagwat for dedicating his life to strengthening "equality, harmony, and brotherhood" in the country.
"Mohan Bhagwat ji has dedicated his entire life to strengthening the spirit of equality, harmony, and brotherhood, inspired by the mantra of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. On the special occasion of Mohan ji's 75th birthday, who is always ready for the service of Mother India, I have expressed my feelings regarding his inspiring personality. I wish him a long and healthy life," the PM wrote in the post.
Lauding Mohan Bhagwat's work during the anti-Emergency movement, the Prime Minister wrote, "Bhagwat ji took up the responsibility of a pracharak at a time when the then Congress government had imposed emergency on the country. During that period, as a pracharak, Bhagwat ji continuously strengthened the anti-emergency movement."
PM Modi also remembered other significant events which happened during the same day.
"Today is 11 September. This day is associated with different memories. One memory is of 1893, when Swami Vivekananda gave the message of universal brotherhood in Chicago and the other memory is the terrorist attack of 9/11, when universal brotherhood was dealt the biggest blow. There is another special thing about this day. Today is the 75th birthday of a personality who, following the mantra of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, has dedicated his entire life to uniting the society, strengthening the feeling of equality, harmony and brotherhood," the PM said. (ANI)