Yogi Adityanath cannot whitewash RSS' dark past: Congress

With Yogi Adityanath hailing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for unifying India, the Congress on Sunday asserted that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister cannot simply 'whitewash' the dark history of the organisation.

"If Yogi Adityanath is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh doesn't mean that he can whitewash RSS. The organization has a dark history, it is a common knowledge to everyone," Congress leader P. C. Chacko told ANI.

He added that it was RSS who betrayed the freedom movement and their calumnious campaign was responsible for the death of Mahatma Gandhi.

Highlighting the Congress's contribution he said, "Kashmir is part of India because of Indian National Congress and Punjab is part of India because of the great sacrifice of Indira Gandhi and role of Beant Singh."

He added that it is not Yogi Adityanath's prerogative to give a lecture on role of RSS in India's history.

Another Congress Spokesperson Meem Afzal said, "Yogi Adityanath is exaggerating the contribution of RSS in Freedom struggle. It was the Congress who led the freedom movement and kept Kashmir and Bengal as integral part of India. It is astonishing how they are using the name of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mkherjee just to establish their point."

Yogi Adityanath on Saturday defended the RSS, claiming that if it was not for the organisation, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and West Bengal would have been a part of Pakistan

"Agar RSS aur Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee na hote to West Bengal, Punjab aur Kashmir. Pakistan ke kabje mei hote (Had RSS and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee not been there, West Bengal, Punjab and Kashmir would have been under control of Pakistan)," Yogi Adityanath said.

He further added that RSS is the only organisation in the world which does not take any help from the government and works selflessly through its swayamsewaks and pracharaks for the country and culture.

Adityanath was addressing the last meeting of the first UP assembly session, where he was gheraoed by the Opposition parties over a myriad of issues dominated by concerns related to law and order situation in the state.