Thu Jan 16 17:14:45 UTC 2025: ## Congress Slams Bhagwat’s Remarks on Independence, Accuses BJP of Twisting Gandhi’s Words
**New Delhi, January 16, 2025** – The Congress party today launched a scathing attack on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, accusing him of disrespecting India’s founding fathers and undermining the Constitution. The statement, delivered by former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at a press conference, comes as a response to criticism leveled against Rahul Gandhi’s comments about the Congress’s struggle against the “Indian state.”
Baghel asserted that Bhagwat’s claim that India’s true independence began with the Ram temple consecration demonstrates a disregard for the Constitution. He further accused the BJP of misrepresenting Gandhi’s remarks, which had criticized the BJP and RSS’s alleged capture of India’s institutions.
Gandhi, in his speech at the inauguration of the Congress’s new headquarters, had stated that the party is not merely fighting the BJP and RSS, but also the “Indian state” itself. Baghel reiterated this point, emphasizing that Bhagwat’s statement would be grounds for arrest in any other country. He also criticized Bhagwat and BJP MPs for their alleged anti-constitutional rhetoric.
When questioned about the Congress’s failure to file a case against Bhagwat, Baghel cited the government’s alleged control over institutions like the police, casting doubt on the possibility of a Delhi Police investigation.
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