'Patriotic' RSS growing in strength despite Congress attack: RS Prasad

Rejecting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said the RSS has gone from strength to strength despite continuous attacks by the Gandhi family.

Prasad also said that Rahul should recall the emergency imposed by his grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi before speaking on intolerance.

"I would like to remind Rahul Gandhi that all members of his family who have ruled the country have consistently attacked RSS, he is no exception. But the RSS, being a great patriotic organisation in the field of social activism and cultural activism, has gone from strength to strength," he told ANI.

"Please stop telling lies, as far as right to dissent is concerned, he must recall the age of Indira Gandhi when the emergency was imposed. There was press censorship, editors were arrested and organisations were banned. The real anger of Rahul Gandhi is because of the marginalisation of his party," he added.

Earlier, escalating the attack on the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over 'growing intolerance', Gandhi said India's democracy is under threat from these 'fascist' organizations.

"With what nerve did the BJP allot an incompetent ideologue as the head of a hallowed institution? Why must all of India be subjected to the hateful mediocrity of Mohan Bhagwat on national television?" Rahul said speaking at the 'No Peace Without Freedom' conference on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Rahul was part of a Congress delegation that marched to the Rashtrapati Bhawan earlier this week to register their concern over 'growing intolerance' in the country.