Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Sunday backed former party president Rahul Gandhi’s statement that some Congress leaders in Gujarat are working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and must be removed from the party. He lauded Rahul’s remarks and urged him to take action against BJP sympathisers within Congress.
Reacting on social media platform X, Singh wrote in Hindi, “I congratulate Rahul Gandhi for his statement. I remember when I went to Gujarat for campaigning as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, I was instructed not to speak against the RSS, as Hindus would get angry. The RSS does not represent Hindus; it only misleads them in the name of religion and exploits them.”
मैं @RahulGandhi जी को उनके बयान के लिए बधाई देता हूँ। मुझे याद है मैं जब एमपी के मुख्य मंत्री के रूप में गुजरात में प्रचार करने गया था तब मुझे निर्देश दिए गए थे कि मैं @RSSorg के ख़िलाफ़ ना बोलूँ। हिंदू नाराज़ हो जाएँगे। संघ हिंदुओं का प्रतिनिधित्व नहीं करता। वह केवल धर्म के नाम…
— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) March 9, 2025
He further attacked the BJP, calling it a “group of exploiters” whose only aim is to “loot people in the name of religion to gain power.” Tagging Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in his post, Singh asked, “When will BJP supporters be removed from Congress?”
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Congress Must Weed Out BJP-Linked Leaders, Says Rahul Gandhi In Gujarat
His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, during his two-day visit to Gujarat, said that Congress must separate its committed workers from those who are allegedly aligned with the BJP. Addressing party members, Rahul stated that the first task of the Congress should be to identify and act against those who are detached from the public and working against the party’s interests.
“There are two types of people in the Gujarat Congress leadership and among workers. Those who are honest with people, fight for them, respect them and have the ideology of the Congress in their heart. And the others who are cut off from the people, sit far away, do not respect them, and half of whom are with the BJP,” Rahul said.
He emphasised that until these groups are separated, the people of Gujarat would not trust the party. “The party’s first job should be to filter these two groups, even if it means taking strict action of removing people,” he asserted.
Rahul also underlined the need for Congress leaders at all levels to be deeply committed to the party. “For our district, block presidents and senior leaders, the party should find a place in their hearts. They should carry Congress in their blood. Put the issue of winning and losing the elections aside. As soon as we do that, the people of Gujarat would like to join our organisation, and we will open the door for them,” he said.
Raising concerns about Gujarat’s economy, Rahul claimed that the state’s key industries, including diamond, textile, and ceramics, are struggling. “Look at the farmers of Gujarat. They are screaming for a new vision. The vision of the last 20-25 years has failed, and Congress can provide this vision easily. But this is not possible unless these two types of people are filtered,” he added, as per news agency PTI.
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He also pointed out that Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for over three decades. “Whenever I visit Gujarat, the discussion revolves around elections. But the question is not about elections. Unless we fulfil our responsibilities, the people of Gujarat will not let us win the elections. The day we have fulfilled our responsibilities, I can guarantee that all the people of Gujarat will support us,” he said.
Rahul highlighted Gujarat’s historical significance to the Congress, noting that Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel hailed from the state. “Gujarat gave the Congress its original leadership, way of thinking, fighting and living in Mahatma Gandhi. Without Gandhi, Congress would not have been able to get independence for the country,” he said.
Calling for greater grassroots engagement, he said, “Our leaders, including me, will have to go amidst the people of Gujarat, listen to their voices, what they expect from me, what we can do for them—for their education, health, and future. We are here to listen to you.”
Rahul also noted that Congress could regain power in Gujarat by increasing its vote share by just 5 per cent, citing the party’s success in Telangana, where it managed a 22 per cent vote share increase.
On Friday, the first day of his Gujarat visit, Rahul held meetings with party leaders and district and block-level presidents. He also announced that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session would be held in Ahmedabad on April 8-9—the first time in 64 years that the party’s national session will take place in Gujarat.
The Congress had a poor showing in the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, winning only 17 of the 182 seats. Its strength in the House later dropped to 12 following the resignation of five MLAs.
