Congress leader Rahul Gandhi strongly criticized RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over his statement that India attained “true independence” only after the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Gandhi called the remark “treasonous,” stating that Bhagwat would face arrest and trial in any other country for such a statement.

Gandhi made these comments during an event marking the inauguration of the new Congress headquarters in Delhi. He remarked on the symbolism of the event, emphasizing that Bhagwat’s statement was made just a day earlier. “Yesterday, the RSS chief claimed that India did not achieve true independence in 1947. According to him, true independence came only when the Ram Mandir was consecrated. He also said that the Constitution wasn’t a symbol of our freedom.”

Gandhi further criticized Bhagwat, stating, “Mohan Bhagwat regularly comments on India’s independence movement and the Constitution, and what he said yesterday is an attack on both. It essentially dismisses the entire struggle for freedom and the Constitution, which is treasonous. If he made such a statement anywhere else, he would be arrested and tried.” Gandhi added that the claim was an insult to every Indian and that the public should stop tolerating such “nonsense.”

Bhagwat, speaking at an event in Indore on Monday, had said that the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya should be celebrated as “Pratishtha Dwadashi” as it marks India’s “true independence.” He acknowledged India’s political independence in 1947 but argued that the country did not truly embrace the spirit of freedom until the temple was consecrated. Bhagwat also referred to India’s cultural identity, stating that figures like Ram, Krishna, and Shiva connect people across the country, transcending religious boundaries.