AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remarks in New York that a Hindu who believes there should be no Muslims in India would not remain a Hindu.
Owaisi questioned whether Bhagwat’s statement represented a change in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s position, and referred to the writings and views of some of its prominent thinkers.
Owaisi Questions RSS’ Ideological Position
Owaisi alleged that Bhagwat’s remarks were an attempt to present a different image of the RSS before an international audience. He said statements made at public events cannot be viewed separately from the organisation’s historical ideological positions.
According to Owaisi, the RSS has not clearly distanced itself from the views of its prominent ideologues and writers.
He referred to RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar and claimed that Hedgewar had disagreed with efforts during the freedom struggle to promote Hindu-Muslim unity. Owaisi cited a biography of Hedgewar published by the RSS while making the claim.
Golwalkar’s Writings Cited
Owaisi also referred to M.S. Golwalkar, one of the RSS’s most influential ideologues. He cited Golwalkar’s book Bunch of Thoughts and its chapter titled “Internal Threats”.
Owaisi alleged that the book had described Muslims and Christians as internal threats to India. He argued that these historical positions should be considered when assessing the RSS’ present-day statements about religious unity.
Owaisi also questioned the RSS’ approach to democracy, referring to Golwalkar’s description of the organisation in terms of “one flag, one leader and one ideology”.
Owaisi Refers to Savarkar and Gujarat Riots
The AIMIM chief also referred to Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar while questioning the RSS’ ideological history.
He further raised the issue of the 2002 Gujarat riots and alleged that Muslims faced widespread violence during the period. Owaisi also questioned the role of the administration and the RSS during the violence.
UCC, Anti-Conversion Laws and UAPA
Owaisi linked his criticism to issues including the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), anti-conversion laws and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
He alleged that such measures have contributed to the targeting of minorities and argued that they reflect the influence of RSS ideology.
Owaisi challenged Bhagwat to publicly read out excerpts from the writings of Savarkar, Hedgewar and Golwalkar so that people could assess the organisation’s ideological position themselves.
Bhagwat, during his New York address, had said that India has historically provided shelter to people of different faiths. He also said that the RSS does not believe Muslims should be driven out of India.
