Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday expressed concern over the resurgence of several temple-mosque disputes in the country, PTI has reported.
Bhagwat, while delivering a lecture on ‘India- The Vishwaguru’ in Pune, said that some individuals, following the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, are under the impression that they can become “leaders of Hindus” by raking up such disputes and added that this is unacceptable.
Advocating for an inclusive society, the RSS chief said the world needs to be shown that the country can live together in harmony.
“We have been living in harmony for a long time. If we want to provide this harmony to the world, we need to create a model of it. After the construction of Ram Mandir, some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by raking up similar issues in new places. This is not acceptable,” Bhagwat was quoted as saying by PTI.
Every day, a new matter (dispute) is being raked up. How can this be allowed? This cannot continue. India needs to show that we can live together,” he said without mentioning any particular site.
The RSS chief’s remarks come as several demands for surveys of mosques to unearth temples have found their way to courts in recent days.
On December 12, the Supreme Court issued a nationwide directive restraining all courts from entertaining fresh suits or passing orders to survey mosques to determine whether temple structures lie beneath them.
‘Country runs per Consitution,’ says Mohan Bhagwat
During his lecture on Thursday, Mohan Bhagwat said that some groups that came from outside brought with them staunchness and they want their old rule to return.
“But now the country runs as per the Constitution. In this setup people choose their representatives, who run the government. The days of hegemony are gone,” he asserted, according to PTI.
Bhagwat cited the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, saying that his rule was characterised by such staunchness. He, however, also pointed out that the Mughal ruler’s descendant, Bahadur Shah Zafar, also banned cow slaughter in 1857.
“It was decided that Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should be given to Hindus but the British sensed it and created rift between the two communities,” Bhagwat said, according to PTI. “Since then, this sense of ‘algavwad’ (separatism) came into being. As a result, Pakistan came into existence.”
He also questioned why the “language of dominance” was being used if all identify themselves as Indians.
“Who is a minority and who is a majority? Everyone is equal here. The tradition of this nation is all can follow their own forms of worship. The only requirement is to live in harmony and abide by rules and laws,” the RSS chief asserted. HT
