Concept of 'Hindu Rashtra' being taken seriously: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said scare-mongering was being done by some that there was a danger to minorities, but asserted that this is neither the nature of the Sangh nor of Hindus.

"The Sangh resolves to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity and peace," Bhagwat said at the RSS Dussehra rally in Nagpur.

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Raising concerns over inequality, he said "unless temples, water sources and cremation grounds are open to all Hindus, till such time the talk of equality will be a mere pipe dream".

There should be no recurrence of Udaipur and Amravati incidents (where a tailor and a pharmacist were killed after they support suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma), Bhagwat said, adding that a particular community as a whole should not be taken as the root cause for it.

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The RSS chief said the concept of "Hindu Rashtra" is being taken seriously. "Now, when the Sangh is receiving the affection and confidence of people and also has become strong, the concept of Hindu Rashtra is being taken seriously," he said.

"Many people agree with the concept, but are opposed to the word 'Hindu' and they prefer to use other words. We don't have any issue with that. For the clarity of concept - we will keep emphasising the word Hindu for ourselves," he said.

Acclaimed mountaineer Santosh Yadav was the chief guest at the function. She is the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest twice.

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Bhagwat said "horrific and grisly incidents" occurred in Udaipur and some other places recently which stunned the society and made most of the people sad and angry. After the Udaipur incident, few prominent persons from within the Muslim society voiced their protest against it.

"This manner of protest should not be an isolated phenomenon within the Muslim society rather it should become the nature of their large sections," he said.

"The Hindu society in general assertively expressed their protests and strong reactions after such incidents even if the accused be Hindu persons," he said.

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"We look different and distinctive, so we are different, we want separation, we cannot be with this country, its way of life and ideas or its identity; due to this falsehood brothers were separated, territory was lost, places of worship were destroyed - no one was happy with the poisonous experience of partition," he said.

Raising concerns over inequality, he said "temples, water sources and cremation grounds should be common for all."

"We should not fight over petty things. Talks like someone who can ride a horse and the other person cannot, should have no place in society and we have to work towards it," Bhagwat said.

(With inputs from PTI)

• Mohan Bhagwat
• RSS
• Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
• Dussehra
• Dussehra 2022