New Delhi [India], December 28 : Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Sunday defended party veteran Digvijaya Singh over his recent remarks that were seen as praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling Singh a "pillar" of the Congress party.
Khurshid said that Digvijaya Singh's statements should be understood in their proper context and asserted that it was unthinkable for him to say anything that would harm the interests of the Congress or the country. He said Singh's long association with the party and his ideological commitment should not be doubted.
"Look, it is important to pay attention to whose words are being used, what they mean, and in what context they are spoken. No one can even remotely think that whatever Digvijaya Singh says would not be in the interest of the Congress party or that he would speak in a way that goes against the party's ideology. He is a pillar of the Congress party, and if he has used any particular language, it is necessary to understand what his context was and what his target was what he was trying to do," Salman Khurshid told ANI.
Khurshid further stated that if Singh had used certain words, they should be interpreted in light of his intent and objective. According to him, the core message of Singh's remarks was about strengthening both the country and the Congress party.
"What he is saying is that whatever we do, whatever steps we take, should be taken for the strength of the country today and for the strength of the Congress party. That was his message. And if people did not understand it, then what can they understand? They won't understand anything if they cannot even grasp this much," Khurshid added.
Khurshid's remarks came amid controversy over an 'X' post by Digvijaya Singh, in which he shared an old photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani.
"I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots swayamsevak of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country? This is the power of the organisation. Jai Siya Ram. @INCIndia @INCMP@kharge @RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi @Jairam_Ramesh @narendramodi," Singh's X post read.
Responding to criticism over the post, Singh later said that his remarks had been misunderstood and clarified his position.
"I support the organisation. I am against the RSS and Modi ji. You have misunderstood. I have praised 'sangathan'. I was, am, and will remain a staunch opponent of the RSS and Modi. Is it a bad thing to strengthen and praise the organisation?" he said.