The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Monday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi showed he did not “understand India” when he compared the Hindutva organisation to the Muslim Brotherhood showed he was “unaware” and did not “understand India”, PTI reported. The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist organisation founded in Egypt in 1928.

“The entire world today is facing the threat of Islamic fundamentalism,” said RSS publicity head Arun Kumar. “He [Rahul Gandhi] is unaware. He does not understand the gravity of the situation, that’s why he is making such statements.”

Gandhi had made the comparison while addressing an audience at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London on August 24. “RSS is trying to change the nature of India,” Gandhi said. “Other parties haven’t tried to capture India’s institutions. RSS’ idea is similar to the idea of Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab world…And the idea is that one ideology should run through every single institution; one idea should crush all other ideas.”

Kumar said Gandhi was ignorant about India and its cultural ethos. “One who doesn’t understand India cannot understand the Sangh,” added Kumar.

Meanwhile, the RSS will hold a three-day lecture series in New Delhi from September 17 to 19, said Kumar. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will address the audience on “Future of Bharat: An RSS’ perspective”, reported The Indian Express. Kumar said the lectures were being organised to present the RSS’ perspective on various issues. “Sangh has nothing to do with politics. But some people affiliated to other parties have linked Sangh to politics, which is unnecessary,” he said. “In this scenario we thought there should be such a meeting with prominent people.”

The RSS may invite Gandhi and other Opposition leaders, such as Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), to the event, NDTV quoted unnamed officials as saying. “It is our prerogative to choose who to invite or not,” said Kumar when asked about the issue. “People from all walks of life, including from different political outfits, ideologies and religions, will be invited.”