The Maharashtra Congress on Monday criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after singer-composer Adnan Sami attended a programme marking the organisation’s centenary and met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, terming the interaction “anti-national.”

In a post shared on social media platform X, the Congress alleged that Adnan Sami’s father, Arshad Sami Khan, served as a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force and took part in the 1965 India–Pakistan war. Referring to this background, the party questioned the RSS leadership’s decision to host the singer at a formal event.

The Congress further claimed that Sami’s father was involved in military operations against India during the 1965 conflict. On this basis, the party criticised Bhagwat for sharing a public platform and dining with the singer, arguing that such engagements sent the “wrong political and national message.”

Adnan Sami was among several prominent personalities who attended a two-day event in Mumbai over the weekend to commemorate 100 years of the RSS. On Sunday, the Padma Shri awardee shared photographs from the meeting on his X handle, praising Bhagwat and describing the interaction as “insightful.”

In his post, Sami wrote that it was a pleasure to listen to the RSS chief and that several “myths and misconceptions” were clarified during the interaction. He also described Bhagwat as a “gentleman” and a “beautiful human being.”

Adnan Sami, who was born in the United Kingdom, became an Indian citizen in 2016 and has since been vocal in his support for the Indian government on several issues. The controversy adds to ongoing political exchanges between the Congress and the RSS over nationalism and ideological identity.