Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat
Gyanvapi Masjid Case: In his first remark on the raging Gyanvapi Masjid row, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that it was not necessary to see a Shivling in every mosque.
"...We shouldn't bring out a new matter daily. Why should we escalate the dispute? We have devotion towards Gyanvapi and we are doing something as per that, it is alright. Why look for a Shivling in every mosque (Har masjid me Shivling kyun dekhna),” he said on Thursday while addressing the concluding session of the RSS officer training camp in Nagpur.
Bhagwat also said that the RSS was "not in favour of launching any other movement". "We took part in the Ram Janmabhoomi andolan because circumstances were such and achieved what people wanted. We don't want to call for anymore agitation," he said.
He, however, maintained that the Gyanvapi dispute involves some issues of faith and the court’s decision on it should be accepted by all.
"Gyanvapi matter is ongoing. We can't change history. Neither today's Hindus nor today's Muslims created it. It happened at that time. Islam came from outside via attackers. In the attacks, Devasthans (temples) were demolished to exhaust the morale of those who wanted independence," Bhagwat said.
The Sarsanghchalak said that Hindus are not against Muslims, adding that "ancestors of today's Muslims were Hindus too".
He said what happens in mosques is also a form of prayer. "It has come from outside. But Muslims who have accepted it are not outsiders, they need to understand this. Even if their prayer is from outside (this country), and they wish to continue with it, we are fine with it. We are not opposed to any form of worship),” he said.
Gyanvapi Masjid
Gyanvapi Mosque, adjacent to the famed Kashi Vishwanath Temple on the western bank of river Ganga in Varanasi, is currently facing a legal battle. Five women have filed a petition in a local Varanasi court seeking permission for the daily poojan of Gods and Goddesses on the walls of the mosque.
In a recent survey by a court-appointed team, according to the Hindu side, a Shivling was found at the centre of the wazu khana inside the mosque. Besides, several religious symbols and sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses were also found during the video survey.
READ MORE: 'Ancestors of today's Muslims were Hindus too...': Mohan Bhagwat
