Pawan Khera distances Congress from Digvijaya Singh’s remarks praising RSS
New Delhi: The Indian National Congress on Sunday saw a public difference of opinion after senior leader Digvijaya Singh praised the organisational structure of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, prompting a sharp response from the party’s media chief Pawan Khera.
Khera, who heads the Congress’ media and publicity department, said the party had “nothing to learn” from the RSS and distanced the Congress from Singh’s remarks. Taking a strong ideological stand, Khera linked the RSS to Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, and said, “What can an organisation known for Godse teach an organisation founded by Gandhi?”
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The controversy followed Singh’s social media post in which he shared an old black-and-white photograph showing Narendra Modi seated on the floor beside senior BJP leader L. K. Advani during an event in Gujarat in the 1990s. Singh said the image illustrated the “power of organisation,” pointing to how grassroots workers of the RSS and the Jan Sangh could rise to become chief minister and prime minister.
In his post on X, Singh tagged several Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as Jairam Ramesh, along with Prime Minister Modi. He described the photograph, sourced from Quora, as “impressive” and said it demonstrated organisational strength.
Speaking to ANI later, Singh clarified that he opposed the ideology of the RSS but admired its organisational capacity. He said the RSS did not respect the Constitution or laws and remained an unregistered organisation, but noted that its influence was such that even the Prime Minister had described it as the world’s largest NGO from the Red Fort.
Singh also reflected on the Congress’ organisational challenges, saying there was scope for improvement. Describing the Congress as a movement-based party, he said its weakness lay in converting mass movements into electoral success.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
