News Analysis India

Tag: Mohan Bhagwat

  • Citing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘DNA’ remark, Digvijaya Singh questions need for anti-conversion laws

    By PTI
    SEHORE: Continuing his attack on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over his “DNA of all Indians is the same” remark, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh has if that was the case what was the need for BJP-ruled states to bring in laws against religious conversion and inter-faith marriages.

    A clutch of BJP-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh, have enacted legislations that outlaw religious conversions through marriage or by fraudulent means.

    “If the DNA of Hindu-Muslim is the same what was the need of religious conversion law and love-jihad law? Then, the DNA of Mohan Bhagwatji and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is the same,” Singh told reporters here on Wednesday night.

    The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister was asked to comment on Bhagwat’s controversial remark.

    In his address at an event, ‘Hindustan First Hindustani Best’, organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Bhagwat had said the “DNA of all Indians are the same”.

    Besides, Bhagwat had also said at the same event that “Cow is a holy animal, but those involved in lynching are against Hindutva.”

    The next day, Singh, a bitter critic of the BJP, said if Bhagwat is true to his words, he must give directions that all those leaders of the saffron party who “harassed” innocent Muslims be removed from their posts.

    Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and BJP leader Narottam Mishra on Thursday hit out at Singh over his criticism of the RSS chief.

    Taking to Twitter, Mishra said Bhagwat’s approach is to keep the unity and integrity of the country intact, while Singh’s thinking is opposite of that.

  • Digvijaya Singh’s thinking is narrow: BJP general-secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya

    By PTI
    INDORE: Taking a swipe at Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh for his comment on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday said the veteran Congress leader will not understand “Hindu philosophy”.

    He was reacting to a tweet by Singh where he posted pictures of Bhagwat and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and wrote “two sides of one coin”. “Hindu philosophy is very comprehensive. Singh will never understand it because his thinking is narrow and negative. So he always chose the way of appeasement,” Vijayvargiya told reporters here.

    “What Bhagwat has said is the point of view of `Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) which is the identity of our country,” he said. The RSS chief recently said that all Indians share the same DNA.

    Asked about speculation that he may contest the Khandwa Lok Sabha by-election, the BJP leader said the party will decide the candidate, adding “anyway, I live in Indore and why would I go to Khandwa?” Khandwa seat is vacant after the death of BJP MP Nandkumar Singh Chouhan.

    On reports about the Congress planning to set up “Bal Congress” for the 16-20 years age group, he said children should not be pressured to join a political party. “Let them play. They will choose the political party when they grow up and become capable of thinking,” he said.

    The BJP leader also inaugurated a 500-bed hospital here.

  • Remove BJP leaders who ‘harassed’ Muslims if true to your words: Digvijaya Singh to RSS chief

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat asserted that the DNA of all Indians is the same, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday said if Bhagwat is true to his words, he must give directions that all those BJP leaders who “harassed” innocent Muslims be removed from their posts.

    Singh, however, added that Bhagwat will not do so, alleging that there is a difference between his words and actions.

    In his address at an event ‘Hindustan First Hindustani Best’ organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Bhagwat also took on those indulging in lynching.

    “Cow is a holy animal, but those involved in lynching are against Hindutva,” he had said.

    Bhagwat had also said that though at times, some “false cases” of lynching have been registered against some people.

    AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit back at Bhagwat over his remarks, saying those criminals who carried out lynching may not know the difference between a cow and a buffalo but the names of Junaid, Akhlaq, Pehlu, Rakbar, Alimuddin were enough for them to kill.

    This hatred is the product of Hindutva and these criminals have the patronage of a government backing Hindutva, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) alleged.

    “Cowardice, violence and murder are an integral part of Godse’s Hindutva thinking.

    The lynching of Muslims is also the result of this thinking,” he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Tagging a report on the RSS chief’s remarks that the DNA of all Indians is the same and those asking Muslims to leave the country cannot call themselves Hindus, Singh said, “Mohan Bhagwat ji, will you pass on these views to your disciples, preachers, Vishwa Hindu Parishad/Bajrang Dal workers also? Will you pass on these teachings to Modi-Shah ji and BJP chief minister also?” “Mohan Bhagwat ji, if you make it obligatory for your disciples to follow this thought, I will become your admirer,” the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

    Alleging that the RSS had instilled “hatred” between Hindus and Muslims, Singh said it was now not easy to remove the “seeds of hatred” sown against Muslims from “Saraswati Shishu Mandir to the intellectual training provided by the Sangh.”

    “If you are honest with the views you expressed, then issue directions to remove all those leaders in the BJP, who have harassed innocent Muslims, from their posts immediately.

    Start with (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (UP Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath,” the Congress leader said. Referring to Bhagwat’s remarks giving primacy to being Indian, Singh asked Bhagwat to explain this to his disciples first as they “advised me to go to Pakistan many times”.

  • Don’t get trapped in cycle of fear that Islam is in danger in India: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

    RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said neither the Sangh is in politics nor does it bother about maintaining an image.

  • RSS ‘activist’ writes to Mohan Bhagwat threatening self-immolation for MISA detainee pension

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: A senior citizen couple claiming to be RSS volunteers has threatened to set themselves on fire in front of the Hedgewar Smruti Mandir here in Maharashtra if their request for pension for those jailed under the now-repealed Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during Emergency is not accepted by the Central government by October 15.

    The Hedgewar Smruti Mandir is a memorial dedicated to RSS founder K.B.Hedgewar and second sarsanghchalak or chief M.S.Golwalkar located in the Reshimbaug area.

    Avdhoot Joshi (66) and his wife Mangla Joshi (62) on Sunday visited the Smruti Mandir to observe a symbolic hunger strike demanding ‘ Sanman Nidhi’ (pension) for swyamsevaks and others who were jailed under the MISA during Emergency in 1975-77.

    The controversial law was repealed in 1977.

    The Joshis were evicted from the spot by the police after taking their memorandum and were let off.

    Joshi, a resident of Bhilai, told PTI that he and his father were lodged in Raipur jail for 15 months during the Emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

    “The then sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras had appealed for satyagraha across the country against the imposition of Emergency. Many swayamsevaks on his appeal had observed satyagraha, and subsequently, we were jailed,” claimed Joshi.

    Joshi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi who himself is a swayamsevak and he should not forget the sacrifices made by the people jailed under the MISA.

    “We want to request the prime minister through RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat that the government should respect all those who were jailed under MISA by giving them ‘sanman nidhi’ (pension),” he said, adding that this issue had been raised in Parliament many times but nothing came out of it.

    Joshi said he had met social activist Anna Hazare and Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide who supported the pension demand.

    “I have written a letter to Mohanji Bhagwat stating that if the government does not start ‘sanman nidhi’ scheme for those jailed under MISA during Emergency then I, along with my wife, will perform ‘atmadah’ at the Hedgewar Smruti Mandir on October 15,” he said.

    When contacted, Nagpur Mahanagar sanghchalak Rajesh Loya told PTI: “As far as the RSS is concerned, such (pension) concept is never there. It is up to the government if it wants to give such a pension. The Sangh has nothing to do with this demand. They should approach government.”

  • Sought time from RSS chief to hand over proof of scam in Ayodhya land deal: Sanjay Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Saturday said that he has written to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and asked for time to meet him and handover all “proof” of the alleged corruption in a land deal by the Ram temple trust in Ayodhya.

    Singh and former SP MLA from Ayodhya Pawan Pandey had recently alleged that a piece of land worth Rs 2 crore was purchased by the Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya at an inflated price of Rs 18.5 crore.

    At a press conference, the AAP leader said that Bhagwat, who claims himself to be the “upholder of Hinduvaad” should take note and objectively clear his stand on the allegations.

    “I have written a letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat ji and have asked for time to meet him.

    I will hand over all these documents as proof of the scam related to land and corruption by the BJP and the members of the trust to him,” Singh said.

    He further said that even though the alleged corruption in the land deal is in the public eye, “where are all the investigation agencies and why are they not acting”.

    “The prime minister (Narendra Modi) convened a meeting with the members of the trust today. Did he ask why the scam happened and why is the construction of the temple halted?” the Rajya Sabha MP posed.

    Singh and Pandey had alleged money laundering in the deal and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

    The Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai strongly dismissed the allegations, claiming the land was purchased at a price much lower than the prevailing market rate.

  • COVID-19, West Bengal politics on agenda as top functionaries of RSS meet in Delhi

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Top functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday when into a huddle in the national capital to brainstorm on a range of issues, including the Centre’s response to the pandemic, the party defeat in West Bengal, and the post-election violence in the state.

    The meeting is being chaired by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. One of the functionaries, who is attending the deliberations, told The New Indian Express that it is a routine event and internal to the RSS. However, the meeting is taking place against the backdrop of the second wave of the COVID-19.

    One of the functionaries said the RSS will be discussing the impact of the pandemic and the future course of actions, considering that there could potentially be a third wave of the virus this year. The general secretary of the RSS Dattareya Hosbole, and senior functionaries Manmohan Vaidya and Krishna Gopal will be taking part in the deliberations.

    Incidentally, Hosbole had been in Lucknow recently, where the BJP’s central leadership is holding meetings with the state ministers to find ways to improve the relationship between the state government and the party organisation, which is said to have been strained in the wake of the second wave of the COVID-19. 

    RSS leaders have expressed concerns about the political cost of the second wave of the pandemic, which has led to scores of people dying in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.

    With the RSS having closely followed the West Bengal elections, sources say the discussions may also focus on the reasons for the saffron’s camp below-par performance. The RSS had thrown its weight behind the BJP’s attempt to wrest power in the state.

  • Govt, administration, public, all dropped guard after first COVID wave: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: After the first wave of COVID-19, the government, administration and public dropped their guard which led to the current situation, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday and urged people to stay positive and proactive to fight the pandemic.

    Addressing a lecture series ‘Positivity Unlimited’, Bhagwat said the country should stay united and work as a team in these testing times, instead of pointing fingers at each other.

    “We are facing this situation because, whether it was the government, administration or public, everyone dropped their guard (hum sab guflat mein aa gaye) after the first wave despite indications from doctors,” he said.

    The remarks made by the head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, assume significance as the government has been maintaining that it followed all protocols during the pandemic.

    In February this year after the cases had dropped, the BJP had passed a resolution praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    Bhagwat said there is talk of a third wave.

    “But we will not be scared. We shall stand like a rock.”

    “We have to stay positive and take precautions to keep ourselves COVID negative in the present situation,” he said.

    The RSS chief said that this is not an appropriate time to point fingers and all should avoid making irrational remarks.

    In his around 30-minute speech, Bhagwat quoted former England prime minister Winston Churchill and Urdu poet Iqbal.

    Citing England’s situation in World War II when everything seemed going against it, Bhagwat said a quote was written on the then prime minister Winston Churchill’s desk which read, “There is no pessimism in this office. We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They don’t exist”.

    Similarly, he cited a famous couplet of Iqbal, ‘Kuch baat hai ki hasti mit-ti nahi hamari sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara” (There must be something about us that makes us indestructible, even when there have been forces inimical to us for centuries).

    Bhagwat said people should not give up on courage.

    The country needs to also have steely resolve.

    “If we get tired and give up, then it will be like a rat who gives up in front of a snake. We cannot let this happen.

    “There is as much hope as there is unhappiness. There are people who are doing good deeds, and helping others as per their capacity,” the RSS chief said.

    Talking about the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhagwat said it will have a profound impact on the economy, employment and education.

    “There may be a further impact on the economy in the coming days, so we have to prepare for it from now. We need not panic so that we can prepare in time to meet the challenges to come,” he said while urging all to help those who depend on daily wages and ensure that they do not sleep hungry.

    Describing the fight against COVID-19 as a “test of patience”, Bhagwat said this period will also test the good qualities of Indians, and underlined that “success is not final; failure is not fatal; the courage to continue is the only thing that matters”.

    Meanwhile, senior Sangh functionary and former general secretary of BJP Ram Madhav suggested that government should be more transparent and open in its handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “A little more transparency, a little more engagement with the public by the political leadership and a little more openness to constructive criticism and enlightened expert opinion from outside the government would further help the government’s efforts. After all, the lives of millions of people are at stake,” he wrote in an article written in an English day.

  • RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat tests COVID-19 positive, hospitalised

    By Express News Service
    BENGALURU: RSS Sarsanghchalak (Chief Mentor) Mohan Bhagwat (70) who tested positive on Friday, with ”normal Covid symptoms,” was admitted to the Kingsway hospital in Nagpur on Friday, according to sources in the RSS.

    Mr Bhagwat who has been accorded very high security was rushed in as an inpatient following medical advise and security personnel had accorded security cover to the special room where Mr Bhagwat was admitted as per security guidelines. 

    Mr Bhagwat who served as Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) before taking over as Sarsanghchalak is easily the most important leader in the RSS presently and senior RSS leaders were present when he was admitted on Friday. 

    The RSS in its tweet said, ”Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohanji Bhagwat today tested Corona positive.” RSS sources said his condition is stable.