Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on RSS, alleging that tribal leaders Tantya Mama and Birse Munda, the unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement, were hanged by the Britishers while the organisation allied with the colonisers.
The remarks came during a public rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district on the second day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) in the state.
In his speech, Gandhi alleged that the RSS supported the Britishers, who hanged two tribal freedom fighters—Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda.
“Today, I am here because of Tantya Mama, for his personality, his bravery, his determination and his fearlessness. You know that Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda were hanged by the Britishers, and you also know that the RSS supported the Britishers,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the gathering in Khandwa, the birthplace of Tantya Mama.
“Thinking about Tantya Mama‘s name, the first word that comes to mind is revolutionary fearless. But when Tantya Mama was hanged by the British, the RSS was helping the British government,” Gandhi said at around 25 minutes in the speech attached above.
Fact Check: Did RSS help the British to hang Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda as alleged by Rahul Gandhi?
Contrary to what Rahul Gandhi would have his followers believe, there was no RSS or the Sangh when the Britishers hanged revolutionary leaders Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda.
The Britishers hanged Tantya Mama in 1889, while Birsa Munde was sentenced to death in 1900. However, the RSS came into existence 36 years after Mama’s death. On 27 September 1925, Dr KB Hegdewar instituted the RSS to consolidate Hindus under one organisation after growing disillusioned with Congress over its enfeebled approach to counter the Muslim League for radicalising Muslims.
In fact, Dr Hegdewar, the founder of RSS, was born in 1889, the same year when Tantya Mama was hanged by the British for his revolutionary activities for freeing India from the clutches of the Crown. It was only in 1925, 25 years after Munde’s death that RSS came into existence.
Rahul Gandhi’s claim that RSS was allying with the Britishers when tribal leaders Tantya Mama and Birsa Munde were hanged is therefore misleading, given that RSS did not exist when the two revolutionaries were hanged by the British.
BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for spreading lies
BJP came down heavily against the former Congress president for spreading malicious lies about the RSS. Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s statement, BJP MLA from Pandhana in Khandwa district, Ram Dangore, tore apart the Gandhi scion for accusing the RSS of conspiring with the British to hang Tantya Mama and Birsa Munde.
“That’s why we call you Pappu, you really deserve to be called Pappu. The Sangh you are accusing, our revolutionary Tantya Mama was hanged by the British on 4 December 1890 and Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was born on 1 April 1889. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was established in 1925. Rahul Gandhi, you don’t have that much intelligence that you would have at least found out the date before making allegations. Which Bharat Jodo Yatra are you talking about? Are you going to unite India or are you working to take along those who raise slogans that break India?”
BJP leaders also shared pictures of the development of Tantya’s birthplace, highlighting how the party is committed to honouring the place that gave birth to a revolutionary leader and ensuring that every section of the society, including tribals, benefits from the fruits of development.
