Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, had an “impressive” organisational structure, while that of the Congress had room for improvement.

The remarks drew sharp reactions from several Congress leaders, who said that it was the BJP and the RSS that should learn from the Congress.

Singh had posted an old photograph of Prime Minister Modi with veteran BJP leader LK Advani and remarked: “See how a grassroots swayamsevak of the RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh and BJP sits on the floor at the feet of leaders and goes on to become a chief minister and then the prime minister.”

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said: “This is the power of organisation. Jai Siya Ram.”

Singh later clarified that his comments were only about the organisation and not an endorsement of the BJP or the RSS, ANI reported.

“I've been saying this from the beginning: I am opposed to the ideology of the RSS,” he said. “They neither respect the Constitution nor the country’s laws, and it’s an unregistered organisation. But I admire their organisational capacity.”

On the Congress party’s organisational capacity, Singh said there was “room for improvement”. He added that Congress is “fundamentally a party of a movement” and should remain so, but noted that it falls short in converting that movement into votes, ANI reported.

The BJP said Singh’s comments marked an “open dissent” against Rahul Gandhi’s leadership in the Opposition party, PTI reported.

The party’s spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari added that Singh’s remarks made “it clear that under Rahul Gandhi, the Congress organisation has collapsed”.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said Singh was free to speak for himself but added that he also wanted the party to strengthen its organisation, ANI reported.

“There should be discipline in our organisation,” he said.

On the other hand, party colleague Pawan Khera claimed that there was nothing to learn from the RSS, ANI reported.

“What can an organisation known for Godse teach an organisation founded by Gandhi?” Khera asked.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate echoed the sentiment and said “we do not need to learn anything from anyone, people should learn from us”.

She also accused the BJP of presenting “statements by twisting and distorting them”, PTI reported.