Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday invoked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to launch a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming that Patel himself had banned the organisation after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas—celebrated annually on Patel’s birth anniversary—Akhilesh used a digital-age twist to make his point, remarking that “you can check on ChatGPT why Sardar Patel banned the RSS.”

The remark and its context

Akhilesh Yadav said both the Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS were banned for their “alleged role” in Gandhi’s killing in 1948. “Hindu Mahasabha and RSS both were banned as they had an alleged role in the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. This is as per ChatGPT,” he told journalists, referring to the AI chatbot in a light yet pointed tone.

He further added, “The RSS was banned for spreading communal hatred and violence. Don’t blame me—this is what ChatGPT says.” The SP leader’s statement drew laughter in the press room, but it was also a deliberate political jab aimed at the ideological fountainhead of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Historical backdrop

The RSS was indeed banned in February 1948 following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by Nathuram Godse, who had links to the Hindu Mahasabha. The then home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, had cited “spreading communal hatred” and the organisation’s alleged atmosphere of intolerance as reasons behind the ban. The prohibition was lifted in July 1949, after the RSS agreed to adopt a written constitution and operate as a cultural, non-political body.

Although the government later clarified that the investigation did not find the RSS directly involved in Gandhi’s murder, the episode has remained a politically sensitive chapter in modern Indian history. Akhilesh’s remarks sought to revive that historical connection on a day dedicated to Patel, who is often hailed by the BJP as a symbol of unity and strength.

Political undertone

Akhilesh’s choice of timing and rhetoric was strategic. On Rashtriya Ekta Diwas—an occasion the BJP uses to celebrate Patel as a national unifier and to project ideological continuity with him—the SP chief attempted to turn that narrative around. By reminding the public of Patel’s decision to ban the RSS, Akhilesh indirectly questioned the BJP’s claim to Patel’s legacy.

His use of “ChatGPT” served a dual purpose: to highlight the accessibility of historical information in the digital age and to frame his criticism as something verifiable rather than merely political. “Go check ChatGPT” quickly became the most quoted part of his statement, blending satire with fact-checking.

Promise to honour Patel

In the same press conference, Akhilesh Yadav also announced that once his party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, it would establish a university named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to honour his contributions to national integration and governance.

He said, “Sardar Patel was one of India’s greatest leaders—an architect of modern India and a symbol of unity. The Samajwadi Party will ensure a university is built in his name so that future generations can learn about his ideals.”

Broader implications

The remark comes amid an ongoing tug-of-war between political parties over historical figures. The BJP has long celebrated Patel as a nationalist icon and inaugurated the Statue of Unity in Gujarat—now the world’s tallest statue—as a tribute to him. Opposition leaders, however, often remind the public of Patel’s role in the RSS ban to highlight what they see as ideological contradictions in the BJP’s narrative.

By invoking ChatGPT, Akhilesh cleverly brought technology into politics, implying that the facts about Patel’s actions are not matters of partisan debate but accessible historical records. His statement also served as a reminder of the intersection between digital discourse and political messaging, a hallmark of India’s evolving election-era communication.

In essence, Akhilesh Yadav’s comments—delivered with irony but steeped in history—were aimed at both the RSS’s legacy and the BJP’s appropriation of Patel’s image, using a modern tool of verification to drive home an old political truth.