In his Dussehra address on Saturday, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat touched on several subjects, including the Rohingya crisis and Kashmir issue. He also spoke on issues like cow vigilantism and the recent Mumbai stampede that killed 23 people.
He the said that there is need for constitutional amendments with regards to Jammu and Kashmir.
Bhagwat said that the problems of the people, who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley in 1990s, are yet to be addressed.
Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state," he said at the event, where BJP patriarch LK Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were among those present.
"Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India," Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
On Rohingya crisis
National security should be paramount in dealing with the Rohingya issue as they were driven from Myanmar due to their violent and criminal activities.
He said that if Rohingyas are given shelter, they will not only put pressure on jobs, but also pose a threat to national security.
"If we let such people stay here, they will not only be a burden on employment but also pose threat to our national security," Mohan Bhagwat said referring to the people who have fled from violence-hit Rakhine state in Myanmar.
"Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind the threat to national security," Bhagwat added.
Bhagwat even asked the BJP-led Narendra Modi government to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on Rohingyas who are seeking shelter in the country.
On cow vigilantism
The RSS chief referred to the issue of cow vigilantism, saying "it is reprehensible that some some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks".
At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers, he said.
Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and "many Muslims have sacrificed their life for protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have". On the economic situation, the RSS chief said that the interests of small, medium industries and self-employed businesses should be protected as they make the "biggest contribution" to the economy.
On Mumbai stampede
Bhagwat offered condolences to the victims of the stampede in Mumbai on Friday. "We all empathise with the families of our brethren who have lost their lives and those who have got injured in yesterday's incident at Mumbai," he said.
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