The parties charged Bhagwat with "insulting" the armed forces and the country for the said remarks.

Reacting to the statement, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that Bhagwat’s comment was an “insult to every Indian, our flag and every soldier who saluted it.” He added that that it was “shameful” of Bhagwat to “disrespect” the army and demanded that the RSS apologise for it.