Rahul Gandhi was speaking at the two-day national conference in New Delhi ahead of Jawaharlal Nehru's 125th birth anniversary.
Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack at the Modi government today for what he called was "an assault on liberty, rights and democratic space" and promised that his Congress party will be the "biggest force" opposing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS.
"Secularism is in our DNA and it will not just defeat RSS but smash them," the Congress vice president said, adding that the sole purpose of the RSS was to establish a "theocratic and an autocratic state".
Mr Gandhi said the "RSS hasn't even begun to think what faces them in the coming weeks and months."
He said that the BJP's ideological mentor was now a part of the state's power and that "a heavy sense of fear" was spreading.
Reacting to Mr Gandhi's comment, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh said those who are "novices in politics must not comment on Mohan Bhagwat (RSS chief)".
In an address which came just days after Prime Minster Narendra Modi's "Doob Maro" jibe at the Congress over the 84' anti-Sikh riots, Mr Gandhi greeted his audience today with a "Sat Sri Akal".
Lashing out at the Modi government over what the Congress says was "rising intolerance" in the country, Mr Gandhi said, "What brings us together is our deep concern about the assault on our liberty, on our rights and our democratic space.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and deputy Rahul Gandhi last week led a protest march of party lawmakers to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, accusing PM Modi of "silence" amid "an atmosphere of fear, intolerance and threat".
Many writers, filmmakers and academicians have also returned their state honours over "intolerance" citing the murders of rationalist writers MM Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar.