Rahul Gandhi likens RSS to Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today likened the RSS to the Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab world and alleged that the outfit is trying to "change" the nature of India and "capture" its institutions.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the oldest political Islamist group in the Arab world. It is not allowed to operate as an official political party in some Arab countries.

Addressing the International Institute of Strategic Studies here, Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) of trying to change the nature of India and capture India's institutions.

"The RSS is trying to change the nature of India. Other parties haven't tried to capture India's institutions.

"The RSS' idea is similar to the idea of Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab world," Gandhi told the audience at the London-based think-tank.

He also criticised the demonetisation of the Modi government banning the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes.

The demonetisation was announced on November 8, 2016.

"The idea of demonetisation came directly from the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), bypassed the Finance Minister and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and was planted in Prime Minister's head," the Congress president said.

Modi had claimed that the demonetisation would help curtail the shadow economy and crack down on the use of illicit and counterfeit cash to fund illegal activity and terrorism.

Gandhi said India's economic power lies in millions of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as they create jobs.

"When one bypasses the entire institutional structure and decides to demonetise the nation, that is not maximising India's power," he said.