Uma Bharti.
Credit: X/@umasribharti
Bhopal: Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Saturday said that although India is a Hindu state, it does not follow or work on the basis of a single religion as it believes in unity in diversity.
"India's identity as a Hindu nation is what ensures its secularism. Secularism here reflects acceptance of all faiths, rooted in the Hindu tradition of worshipping many gods and many rituals," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters here.
"Long before Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Buddhism existed, Hindus worshipped countless deities. As (RSS founder) Keshav Baliram Hedgewar said, India is a Hindu nation...It is not a Hindu state, which means the nation does not follow or work on the basis of a single religion. This will never happen and we follow unity in diversity," she said.
On casteism, the former Union minister said it was necessary for Hindus to shun caste divisions and remain united.
Many problems persist because of fragmentation among castes. Economic equality should be the basis of Hindu unity, according to her.
"For unity in Hindu society, everyone must have participation in power, governance and administration. Why should there be any difference between government and private schools, or between government and private hospitals? There should not be. Equal participation in power, governance and administration is necessary," she said.
Reservation is a constitutional obligation. Now there is a need for a wave in society to ensure that the weight of positions in power, governance and administration is equal, she added.
Bharti called for viewing inter-caste marriages as moves aimed at promoting unity in Hindu society.