Mumbai: Stoking yet another controversy, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said ‘India is a Hindu nation' and ‘Hindutva is its identity'.
“Hindustan is a Hindu nation...Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself,” he said.
Bhagwat was in Mumbai on the occasion of Krishna Janamashtami to attend the inauguration programme of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) that was founded in Mumbai on August 29-30, 1964.
He said the goal of VHP in the coming five years would be to ensure equality among the Hindus of the nation.
“For the next 5 years we have to work with the aim of bringing equality among all the Hindus in the country. All Hindus should be drinking water at one place, should be praying at one place and after their death, their bodies should be burnt at the same place,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress used the opportunity to attack the RSS with its senior leader Digvijay Singh asking Bhagwat to stop fooling ‘innocent people' in name of religion.
“RSS should stop fooling the innocent people by using Religion in Politics. We are proud of our Sanatan Dharm and its tolerance towards others,” Singh said in a tweet.
“A question to Mohan Bhagwat - is Hindutatva a Religious Identity? What is its relationship with Sanatan Dharma? Is a person who believes in Islam Christianity Sikh Budhism Jainism or any other religion also a Hindu? Would Mohan Bhagwatji please clarify?” Singh questioned.
“Does word Hindu or Hindutatva figure in any of our Veda Upnishad Gita Puran or any other of our Religious Scripture?” Singh asked.
Last week, Bhagwat had said in Cuttack, “The cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva and the present inhabitants of the country are descendants of this great culture.”
If inhabitants of England are English, Germany are Germans and USA are Americans then why all inhabitants of Hindustan are not known as Hindus, he had posed.
Meanwhile, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat today came under attack from political parties including Congress and Samajwadi Party for his controversial remarks that India is a Hindu nation and Hindutva is its identity.
Coming down heavily on Bhagwat, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, in a series of tweets, described the RSS chief as “Hitler” and said the Sangh should stop “fooling” innocent people by using religion in politics.
“I thought we had one Hitler in making but it seems now we have Two ! God save India !,” Singh, also a known detractor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tweeted.
A day after the RSS chief made controversial remarks in Mumbai, Singh asked, “A question to Mohan Bhagwat - Is Hindutva a religious identity ? What is its relationship with Sanatan Dharma ?
Is a person who believes in Islam, Christianity, Sikh Budhism, Jainism or any other religion also a Hindu ? Would Mohan Bhagwatji pl clarify ?”
Wondering “does word Hindu or Hindutava figure in any of our Veda, Upanishad, Gita, Puran or any other of our religious scripture ?, Singh also tweeted. “RSS should stop fooling the innocent people by using religion in politics.
We are proud of our Sanatan Dharm and its tolerance towards others,” he said.
Hitting out at Bhagwat, Samajwadi Party accused the Sangh of practising politics of “hatred and separatism.” “They use such words and language to fan social tension,” SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said.
Referring to various controversial statements from union ministers and leaders of BJP and VHP, Congress leader Manish Tewari alleged that there was a “concerted efforts” to polarise the country on religious lines.
“...it is very evident that with the active connivance of the Central government there is an attempt of religious polarisation...The cultural identity of India is not of a monolithic state. India is not Pakistan,” he said.
Bhagwat, who was in Mumbai yesterday to attend golden jubilee celebrations of the VHP, had said, “Hindustan is a Hindu nation...Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself”.
