RSS suppresses women, has no female members, says Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Dec 15: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the RSS of ''suppressing women'' and claimed that that was the reason why the organisation has no female members. Gandhi, who is leading the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, on Wednesday alleged that the ''plan of the BJP and RSS is to spread fear'' and his march was to stand against fear and hatred.

The 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' which started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, is passing through Rajasthan. It will complete 100 days on Friday. The yatra resumed from the Bhadoti area of Sawai Madhopur on Wednesday and reached Badhshapura.

The former Congress president also accused the BJP and RSS of ''insulting'' Goddess Sita by invocation 'Jai Shree Ram' instead of 'Jai Siyaram' which acknowledges both Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.

Addressing a street corner meeting at Bagdi village in Dausa district, Gandhi said, ''You will not find a woman in their organisation ... you will not find a woman in RSS... they suppress women, they do not allow women to enter their organisation.'' The RSS has a women wing named Rashtra Sevika Samiti.

''I want to ask the RSS and BJP people, you say Jai Shri Ram but why do you not say Jai Siyaram? Why did you remove Sita Maa? Why do you insult her? Why do you insult the women of India?'' he posed. The Congress leader said the fear of unemployment is increasing.

''Only the BJP and the RSS benefit from this fear because they convert this fear into hatred. Their entire organisations do the same work.. they work to divide the country, and spread hatred and fear. That is why the most important goal of Bharat Jodo Yatra is to stand against the fear and hatred being spread in the country,'' he said.

He claimed that the 100 richest people in India hold an amount of wealth which is equal to that of 55 crore people in the country. ''Half the wealth of India is with only 100 people and the country is run for them.'' ''There are four or five such people whom you can call Maharajas of India... the entire government, the entire media and all bureaucrats work at their behest... Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji also works at their behest,'' he claimed.