Opposition parties on Monday criticised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat for his comment that seemed to compare the organisation’s workers to the Army, saying that while the Army would take six months to prepare for a fight, RSS cadres would just take three days.

Despite RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya’s clarification that the organisation’s chief was not insulting the Army, but had only meant that RSS workers were more disciplined than other Indians, many opposition leaders demanded an apology from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bhagwat.

“The RSS chief’s speech is an insult to every Indian, because it disrespects those who have died for our nation,” Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter. “It is an insult to our flag because it insults every soldier who ever saluted it. Shame on you Mr Bhagwat, for disrespecting our martyrs and our Army.”

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said Bhagwat’s “sad and disturbing” comment had insulted the Indian armed forces. “Such statements and thoughts weaken the morale of our armed forces,” Sharma told reporters. The Congress leader added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify whether he is thinking of allowing the work of national security to be handed over to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, PTI reported.

Congress leader Sanjay Jha said the RSS chief’s remarks were “astonishingly atrocious” and it “humiliates, mocks the brave Indian army”. Jha sought an apology from Modi as well for Bhagwat’s comment.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayuan said Bhagwat’s remarks were “poor in taste” and against Constitutional propriety. “His statement exposes the RSS’s hidden agenda to float parallel militias to wreak havoc and crush national unity,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said in a Facebook post. “Parallel army is talking about what we have always warned against: Hindu terror.”

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress criticised Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju for defending Bhagwat. Earlier on Monday, the Union minister had said on Twitter, “Bhagwat ji only said it takes six to seven months for a person to be a trained soldier and if the Constitution permits, RSS cadre has the ability to contribute.”

TMC MP Derek O’ Brien said Rijiju was not a minister of state, but a “minister of Sangh”.