RSS chief hits out at MNS, Sena
‘Assaulting Abu Azmi for taking oath in Hindi is wrong’
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday criticised the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for fuelling a language row by insisting on speaking only in Marathi even in the Maharastra Legislature.
“At a time when the country is facing so many problems, it is unfortunate that political parties like the MNS and the Shiv Sena are raking up the language issue and insisting on jobs for locals only in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai,” Bhagwat said while addressing about 15,000 swayamsevaks at the sprawling Bangalore Palace Grounds.
First meet
It was his first public meeting in Bangalore after he took over as the sarasanghachalak in March this year.
Almost all the Cabinet ministers, including the Chief Minister, were in RSS attire of white shirt and khaki shorts.
Decrying the MNS legislators for preventing Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi from taking oath in Hindi in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on November 9, Bhagwat said it was strange that while taking oath in an alien language like English was acceptable, the same was not allowed in the national language – Hindi.
“Should we be fighting over language for vote bank politics? Assaulting Azmi for taking oath in Hindi in the House is a wrong approach. To insist that jobs should be given to only locals or only Maharashtrians in a city like Mumbai is equally wrong as Mumbai belongs to all Indians,” Bhagwat said in his hour-long address.
In this context, he praised Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa for unveiling the statue of Tamil saint, poet Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore on August 9. “For the first time in Indian politics, the chief ministers of two states have shown the country that we can all live together in harmony and peace. They both have demonstrated the spirit of nationalism and brotherhood,” Bhagwat stated.
‘Beware of China’
The RSS chief said the country needs to beware of China, which, according to him, is eying at the Indian territory while extending the hand of friendship.
“It (China) wages war if it wants. It makes friendship whenever it is necessary. So, the country needs to be prepared as far China is concerned,” he stated. Bhagwat said even 60 years after independence, India is not a secured country.
Though Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and Nepal are creating trouble, none of the issues with these countries has been settled yet.
