RSS leader and former BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav issued an apology for his “factually incorrect” statement on India-US relations while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that the comments “’revealed the Sangh’s true nature”

During a panel discussion at Hudson Institute in Washington on Thursday, Madhav had expressed surprise at the strain in India-US relations despite what he described as New Delhi having agreed to a range of American demands — from tariffs to oil sourcing decisions. Questioning where India had fallen short in meeting American expectations, Madhav said, “We agreed to stop buying oil from Iran and Russia, facing so much criticism from the Opposition. We agreed to 50% tariffs… In the new trade deal also, we agreed to 18% tariffs.”

Reacting to Madhav’s statement, Gandhi said on X, “Rashtriya Surrender Sangh. Farzi nationalism in Nagpur. Pure servility in the USA.” He also said that Ram Madhav “has only revealed Sangh’s true nature”.

Clarifying his stand on Friday, Madhav posted a statement on X: “What I said was wrong. India didn’t agree to stopping import of oil from Russia anytime. Also it vigorously protested 50% tariff imposition. I was trying to make a limited counterpoint to the other panelist. But factually incorrect. My apologies.”

In his remarks in the US, Madhav had flagged anxiety within the Indian diaspora over remarks such as “hell hole” and “laptop-wielding charlatans”.

The Congress then targeted the BJP-RSS, with party communication in charge, Jairam Ramesh, saying that “for all its pretentious nationalism, the RSS desperately seeks acceptance abroad”.

“Not content with hiring lobbyists (including those hired by Pakistan), its top ideologues were in the US recently on a PR offensive that fell flat and got caught in its own too-clever-by-half formulations,” said Ramesh.

In a statement, Ramesh said, “The ideologues were there when a Government of India delegation was also in Washington DC discussing the bilateral trade deal which in reality is a steal by the US.”