Kashmiris' fears should be allayed: Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said the revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir will remove the "barriers" that existed between Kashmiris and the rest of nation, while emphasising that their fear of losing land and jobs should be addressed.

Interacting with journalists representing foreign media here, Bhagwat said the decisions on Article 370 would now "integrate" Kashmiri with India.

"Earlier, they were alienated... the repeal of the provisions of Article 370 will remove the barriers that existed between them and the rest of the nation," he was quoted as saying.

Asked about apprehensions of Kashmiris that the move will lead to "outsiders" buying their land, he said, "whatever fears they have about losing land and jobs should be allayed."

In a statement, the RSS said this interaction was part of the continuous process where the 'Sarsanghchalak' (chief of RSS) engages in constructive dialogue with people from different walks of society.

"Mohan Bhagwat ji shared the vision of RSS with the foreign media representatives in India which was followed by a 'Question and Answer' session covering a wide range of issues across the spectrum," the statement said. It did not provide details about what he said at the interaction.

On incidents of lynching, Bhagwat said they condemn all forms of violence and RSS activists try and stop such incidents. "If a swayamsevak is found guilty, we will disown him and the law should follow its own course," he said.

He said the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam was not about expelling people but about identifying the citizens. "There is no place for Hindus in the world except India," he said.

On homosexuality, he said it is a "variation" and not an "abnormality" and such people should be "treated as equal human beings and integrated into society."