After denouncing veteran Congress leader, former President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters for most part of the day, the Congress heaved a sigh of relief after hearing his address to the swayamsevaks on Thursday evening.

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Mukherjee's speech was replete with messages of secularism, inclusiveness, pluralism and tolerance.

Anxious moments for the Congress came when Pranab Mukherjee endorsed RSS's founder Hedgewar as 'a great son of Mother India' in the visitor's book. Preparing for the worst, the Congress unleashed a wave of attack on the right-wing organisation by taking to the social media.

It posted a primer on the twitter to denounce the RSS, saying, "Today is a very fitting day to bring you all a primer on what the RSS really stands for." Titled "RSS for dummies: A guide for the average guy and girl", the primer attacked the RSS from different angles, including invoking Savarkar for saying "raping womenfolk of the enemy is Parmodharmah".

In the primer Congress said: "RSS founder, K B Hedgewar ordered the Sangh not to participate in the Satyagraha" and that "Sangh leaders encouraged members to join the British civic guard" and "RSS's non participation in India's independence was complemented by their British masters."

Minutes before Mukherjee's address, Congress leader Anand Sharma, considered close to the Gandhi family tweeted that "the images of Pranab Da, veteran leader and ideologue at RSS Headquarters have anguished millions of Congress workers and all those who believed in pluralism, diversity and the foundational values of the Indian Republic."

However, the Congress changed its stand after Mukherjee's speech. He has shown the 'Mirror of Truth' to the RSS by reminding them of India's 'pluralism', 'tolerance', 'secularism' and 'inclusiveness' as an article of faith and soul of the country, the Congress said.

In a late evening presser, Congress communication head Randeep Surjewala complemented Mukherjee for highlighting the imperative need of freeing the public discourse from all forms of violence- physical and verbal, besides putting compassion, harmony and non-violence as the centre stage of our public life. "He (Mukherjee) particularly reminded the Prime Minister that 'Happiness of people is the happiness of ruler, their welfare is his welfare'.

Indicating the unchecked exercise of authority and attack on institutions in garb of a self-professed definition of 'Pseudo Nationalism', he reminded the RSS as also the Prime Minister that, 'Indian Nationalism is Constitutional patriotism'," said Surjewala.