Rahul Gandhi attacks RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for saying India's "true independence came with the Ram Temple" remark
Rahul Gandhi has criticized Mohan Bhagwat for saying that India attained "true independence" with the Ram Temple. He called the remark treasonous, questioning its disregard for the 1947 independence struggle. BJP leader JP Nadda countered with sharp criticism.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on the inauguration of the party's new headquarters in Delhi, today attacked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his recent remarks regarding India's independence. Bhagwat had said that India achieved "real independence" after the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Mohan Bhagwat’s audacious comment that India didn’t gain true independence in 1947 is an insult to our freedom fighters, every single Indian citizen and an attack on our Constitution. pic.twitter.com/6sMhdxn3xA
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 15, 2025
Rahul Gandhi criticized Bhagwat's comment, calling it "treason" and an insult to India's freedom fighters. He argued that such statements undermine the Constitution and the sacrifices made during the struggle for independence. "To say India did not achieve independence in 1947 disrespects every Indian," Gandhi stated, adding that in any other country, Bhagwat would face arrest and trial for such remarks.
Bhagwat made the statement while addressing an event in Indore, where he gave the National Devi Ahilya award to Champat Rai of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He said the completion of the Ram Temple was a milestone marking India's true liberation and said that the nation had never been aligned with its cultural essence before.
Gandhi also accused the BJP and RSS of not only influencing institutions but also using the Indian State to suppress dissent. He framed the Congress's fight against these organizations as a battle against an entrenched ideology.
BJP president JP Nadda has sharply attacked Gandhi for "working to demean and discredit" India. He said that such comments by Gandhi prove he was with such forces which sought to weaken the nation. Nadda also said the Congress had always preferred power over national integrity and had weakened the country's unity.
The heated exchange reveals the ongoing ideological battles between the Congress and the BJP-RSS alliance, particularly on issues of India's history, culture, and governance.