RSS reaches out to Dalits

Apparently worried over the fallout of attacks on Dalits in some parts of the country in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday sought to reach out to the community saying that all Hindus, irrespective of their social status, were brethren.

Addressing RSS workers at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, about 500 km from here, Bhagwat also sought to end the debate on Hindu "extremism" saying that it only denoted "liberalism".

"We must accept that every Hindu, irrespective of the caste, is our brother," the RSS chief said.

He also said that everyone, irrespective of his religion, who considered India to be his "mother" was an Indian.

Bhagwat invoked Lord Rama to stress that serving the humanity was the best service.

In an apparent jibe at the critics over Hindu extremism, the RSS chief said that extremism was only for liberalism and non-violence.

"More Hindu extremism means more non-violence..the world accepts good deeds only when there is some power behind it," he remarked.