Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 30 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday criticised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on Hindu-Muslim unity, alleging that the statement was aimed at presenting a different image of the organisation across the world while its "key thinkers and writers" held contrary views on minorities.
In a post on X, Owaisi wrote, "RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat says, 'If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu.' This is the oldest trick in the RSS playbook: some words are for the world, and some are for its own members. The RSS has never disavowed its key thinkers and writers. What do they say about Muslims and other minorities?"
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat says, “If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu.”
This is the oldest trick in the RSS playbook: some words are for the world, and some are for its own members. The RSS has never disavowed its key thinkers and…
While speaking at the 'One World One Humanity' event in New York on Saturday, Bhagwat had said that there was no difference between human beings and that different religious paths lead to the same goal. He emphasised the traditional Indian thought of "unity of humanity".
"If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu. If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity. There is no difference between human beings," Bhagwat said.
Reacting to the RSS chief's remarks, Hyderabad MP alleged that the RSS had not contributed to the freedom struggle and claimed that its founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar left the Indian National Congress because he opposed the participation of all religious communities in the anti-British movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
"It is well known that the RSS did not contribute to our freedom struggle. Its founder, Hedgewar, was in the Indian National Congress but left it because he was against all religious communities joining the anti-British freedom struggle led by Gandhi," Owaisi's post read.
Citing a biography of Hedgewar published by the RSS, Owaisi said, "Gandhiji worked constantly with one eye on Hindu-Muslim unity... But Doctorji sensed danger in that move. In fact, he did not even relish the newfangled slogan of 'Hindu-Muslim Unity'."
Owaisi further alleged that the Sangh opposed democracy and referred to former RSS chief MS Golwalkar's writings, claiming that in 1940 he declared, "RSS inspired by one flag [saffron], one leader and one ideology."
Targeting the Sangh over the 2002 Gujarat riots, Owaisi said, "Should we forget what happened to the Muslims of Gujarat under the RSS's proxy rule?" He added, "Daughters were gang-raped in front of their fathers and then had their heads bashed in. Their fathers were doused with petrol and set on fire. Their property was looted. Their businesses were destroyed. And the police stood by and did nothing."
The AIMIM chief also alleged that for the RSS, Indian Muslims and Christians were "internal threats" number one and two, respectively. Referring to Golwalkar's book Bunch of Thoughts, he said it contained a chapter titled 'Internal Threats', where Muslim and Christian citizens were described in such terms.
Owaisi claimed that Golwalkar wrote that Muslim citizens should be treated with "perpetual suspicion". Referring to Christians, he quoted Golwalkar as saying that the community was "out to demolish not only the religious and social fabric of our life".
He further alleged that under the RSS ideology, Muslims were being subjected to Hindu law in the name of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), while Christians were being targeted through "draconian anti-conversion laws". He also raised concerns over the alleged misuse of laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
"My request to Bhagwat is that he should just recite choice extracts from the poisonous works of Savarkar, Hedgewar, Golwalkar, etc. Let people decide what they make of the RSS," Owaisi said. (ANI)
