While opposition parties condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for singling out the RSS and commending it in his Independence Day speech, the BJP came to its defense, pointing out that the Hindutva group's ideology still permeates public discourse in India.
BJP IT head Amit Malviya noted that even India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had asked the RSS to join the Republic Day parade in 1963, calling it an organization of patriots.
"As the RSS completes 100 years, it is appropriate that PM Narendra Modi speaks of it from the Red Fort," Malviya replied to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's attack.
A seasoned RSS 'pracharak,' Modi has in the past praised the organisation and employed the Independence Day speech to point out its history since its establishment in 1925. The RSS has had long-standing connections with the BJP, and several of its officials play important roles within the party.
Read also| PM Modi Wishes Nation on Janmashtami, Describes It as a Celebration of Faith and Joy
