New Delhi: The political temperature soared following a controversial statement by RSS leader and former BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, which swiftly drew sharp condemnation from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who declared the comments “revealed the Sangh’s true nature.” The uproar intensified after Madhav publicly apologised for his “factually incorrect” remarks concerning India-US relations, originally made during a panel discussion in Washington.
The storm began brewing on Thursday at the Hudson Institute, where Madhav, during a panel discussion, expressed a puzzling surprise at what he perceived as a strain in India-US relations. His remarks suggested that India had made significant concessions to American demands, yet the relationship remained tense.
Rashtriya Surrender Sangh.
Farzi nationalism in Nagpur.
Pure servility in USA.Ram Madhav has only revealed Sangh’s true nature.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 25, 2026
He questioned where India had fallen short, said, “We agreed to stop buying oil from Iran and Russia, facing so much criticism from the Opposition. We agreed to 50 per cent tariffs… In the new trade deal also, we agreed to 18 per cent tariffs.” He also highlighted anxieties within the Indian diaspora regarding disparaging remarks such as “hell hole” and “laptop-wielding charlatans.”
Rahul Gandhi criticised Madhav’s statement and launched a scathing attack on X. “Rashtriya Surrender Sangh. Farzi nationalism in Nagpur. Pure servility in the USA,” Gandhi posted, unequivocally stating that Ram Madhav “has only revealed Sangh’s true nature.”
Faced with a burgeoning political firestorm and the widespread sharing of videos from the discussion, Ram Madhav took to X on Friday to issue a clear apology and clarification. “What I said was wrong. India didn’t agree to stopping import of oil from Russia anytime. Also, it vigorously protested 50 per cent tariff imposition. I was trying to make a limited counterpoint to the other panellist. But factually incorrect. My apologies,” Madhav wrote, retracting his contentious assertions.
Despite Madhav’s swift apology, the Congress party continued its offensive. Jairam Ramesh, the party’s communication in-charge, weighed in, stating that “for all its pretentious nationalism, the RSS desperately seeks acceptance abroad.” The Congress further capitalised on the viral videos, claiming Madhav’s statements were irrefutable proof that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was merely US President Donald Trump’s “puppet.”
मोदी और उनकी सरकार के सरेंडर की कहानी BJP के वरिष्ठ नेता राम माधव बता रहे हैं 👇
• हमने ईरान से तेल लेना बंद किया
• हमने रूस से तेल लेना बंद किया
• हमने 50% टैरिफ पर कुछ न कहा
• हमने 18% टैरिफ भी झेल लिया, जो एवरेज से बहुत ज्यादा है
• इन सब के लिए विपक्ष की आलोचना भी झेली… pic.twitter.com/KOXKoNJH5q
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 24, 2026
The official Congress handle amplified this accusation, sharing a tweet in Hindi that outlined Madhav’s original points, framing them as “the story of Modi and his government’s surrender.” The accompanying text declared, “It’s obvious, Narendra Modi is completely compromised, and the country is paying the price for it.”