The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is likely to invite Congress president Rahul Gandhi to an event — 'Future of India' — in New Delhi, despite his severe criticism of the organisation.
NDTV reported sources as saying that Gandhi will be invited among other leaders like Sitaram Yechury for the event, which will be held between 17 and 19 September. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is also likely to speak at the event.
Meanwhile,India Today reported RSS spokesperson Arun Kumar as saying that all major political parties will be invited to the meet.
This comes months after former president and Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee delivering a speech at an RSS event, which had upset the Congress.
Gandhi has been harshly critical of the RSS in recent times, even comparing RSS with the Muslim Brotherhood during an event in London.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a radical Islamist group.
Gandhi had said, "The RSS' idea is similar to the idea of Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab world."
"Muslim Brotherhood was banned after Anwar Sadat's assassination; RSS was banned after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. So, there are tremendous similarities. And the most interesting one -- women are not allowed in either of these organisations," Gandhi had said at the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
The RSS retorted that Gandhi had no knowledge either about the Sangh or about India.
Even as the news of an invite to Gandhi were doing the rounds, Kumar was quoted by News18 as saying, "He (Rahul) doesn't know Sangh and in turn doesn't know Bharat. There is no seriousness in his claims and he doesn't know the reach of Islamic terrorism."