Rahul Gandhi Targets RSS, Calls It “Rashtriya Surrender Sangh” Over Remarks on Foreign Policy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) , calling it the “ Rashtriya Surrender Sangh ” and alleging “ fake nationalism in Nagpur ” and “ servility in the United States ”.

His remarks came after a video of RSS leader Ram Madhav speaking at an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington triggered a political controversy over India’s foreign and trade policy stance.

In the video, Ram Madhav was heard saying that India had “agreed” to stop buying oil from Iran and Russia , and also referred to acceptance of a 50 per cent tariff imposed by the United States, along with higher tariff levels in later trade discussions. He suggested that India maintained patience and did not strongly oppose these measures.

Reacting strongly, Rahul Gandhi wrote on social media platform X that the remarks exposed the true character of the organisation, accusing it of showing “fake nationalism at home and servility abroad” . He said Ram Madhav had “revealed the RSS’s real nature”.

The issue escalated further when Ram Madhav issued a clarification, stating that his comments were factually incorrect . He clarified that India had not agreed to stop importing oil from Russia and had in fact vigorously protested the US tariff imposition , including the 50 per cent tariff mentioned in the video.

He also said his remarks were made during a panel discussion in a limited context and apologised for the inaccuracies .

Meanwhile, political reactions continued to intensify. Congress leader K C Venugopal alleged that the episode reflected India’s weakened global standing and accused the government of yielding to external pressure. He further claimed that India’s independent voice on the world stage had been compromised.

The exchange has now turned into a wider political confrontation, with the opposition targeting the government and RSS over foreign policy interpretation, while Ram Madhav’s clarification attempts to settle the controversy surrounding his statements.