Mohan Bhagwat: RSS for boosting national unity

PATNA: Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday denied that the 'Sangh' has been active due to the presence of Muslims in the country and said it is working for the revival of the sense of national unity.
"We are not working because there are Muslims around us. On the contrary, we have been active to strengthen the sense of national unity," Bhagwat said here.

Union ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Ram Kripal Yadav, as well as Rajya Sabha member Gopal Narain Singh, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and road construction department minister Nand Kishore Yadav, along with several MLAs and MLCs, were also present in the audience.

Citing an anecdote from the life of K B Hedgewar, the founding 'Sarsanghchalak (chief)' of the RSS, Bhagwat paraphrased what Hedgewar had told the interlocutor when he was asked as to why he started 'Sangh' work in a village with no Muslim presence, "In fact, we would have been doing the same even if Muslims had not been in India."

Bhagwat also said the 'Sangh' does not believe in 'Vividhta mein ekta (unity in diversity)', but in 'Ekta mein vividhta (diversity in unity)', because "co-option and cooperation" have been the fundamental aspects of India's social life.

Bhagwat scoffed at speculations regarding his 10-day visit to the state, adding he had come only to promote expansion of the organization. "A lot of speculations might be going around that my visit is either with an eye on the 2019 parliamentary elections, or it has something to do with whatever have been happening at the border (India-Pakistan). My visit has nothing to do with these matters," Bhagwat said.

In his 'Bauddhik discourse' to around 3,500 select 'Sangh' members and office-bearers of the state, Bhagwat dwelt on the theme, 'Jag Mein Goonje Jai-Jai Bharat'.

Bhagwat had reached here on February 5 and addressed the meetings of 'Kisan Swayamsewak Sangh' and other outfits of the RSS at Muzaffarpur till February 10. He will stay at Patna till February 14.

Sources said the 'Sangh' representatives would discuss the organizational matters having bearing on the selection of person(s) to fill the top notch of the national hierarchy of the 'Sangh'. Its details would be finally made public at the national meet to be held in March at Nagpur or elsewhere.