Inculcating brotherhood is Hindutva's sole intent: RSS

Mohan Bhagwat said the Sangh is not bothered about politics and it does not ask its volunteers to work for any political party

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that Sangh’s work of organising Hindus is not targeted against any community.

“We have no enemy…If a Hindu says that a Muslim cannot stay in India then that person doesn't reflect Hindutva. Inculcating brotherhood is Hindutva's sole intent. Nowadays many things that we see in the name of Hindutva is not real Hindutva,” Bhagwat said during the second day of three-day conclave ‘Bhavishya Ka Bharat — An RSS Perspective’.

He said that the Sangh is not bothered about politics and it does not ask its volunteers to work for any political party. “We do not ask any RSS functionary to work for any particular party. We tell them to back those who are working in the national interest. Such a person can belong to any party and it happens. We don’t look at anyone with enmity nor with over-friendliness,” Bhagwat said.

While stressing that who has to govern the nation is something to be decided by people, Bhagwat said the Sangh doesn’t influence the functioning of the BJP governments as it feels that there is no need of a “second power centre”.

“Any speculation that instruction comes from Nagpur is wrong. The RSS has no influence on the policies and politics of the government. The power centre stands decided by the Constitution and it will remain so,” he said.

He said the Constitution is the consensus of the country and the Sangh has always believed in it.

This was the second consecutive clarification by Bhagwat regarding the Opposition's criticism that it is actually the Sangh which controls the functioning of BJP governments.

The RSS chief repeatedly stressed that the RSS works for a social cause and not politics even as it does not hesitate in expressing views on national issues. “Sangh has decided from the very beginning that it will not get into daily politics. Many times questions are asked does Sangh has political ambition. Sangh has decided from the very onset that it will have no truck with politics and no office-bearers of the Sangh will hold a post in any political party,” he said.

He said since the RSS has reservations about politics, it does not mean it will not speak on issues like “infiltration” as the organisation is concerned with national interests.

After his hour-long speech, Bhagwat spoke of the “fundamental unity” of religions and reminded that India is the only country which has preserved even the monuments and symbols of those who came from outside, attacked and ruled it. He said that while many people know this “some does not say these things publicly for political reasons”.