19.9.18

Hindutva is inclusive: RSS Chief

Saying “Hindutva” is an inclusive concept and does not represent hostility to Muslims, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said his outfit has embraced the Constitution, including insertions of ‘socialist, secular’ in its Preamble.

“Hindu Rashtra doesn’t mean there’s no place for Muslims. If we don’t accept Muslims, it’s not Hindutva. Hindutva is Indianness and inclusiveness,” he said on the second day of the three-day lecture series, “Bhavishya Ka Bharat — an RSS Perspective”.

Responding to the charge that RSS wants to change the Constitution, Bhagwat said the Constitution is “sacrosanct as it reflects the consciousness of the country”.

“We have accepted the Constitution and its adherence is everyone’s responsibility. Constitution-makers passed it with consensus. Rest of the laws are based on the Constitution and the court has the right to interpret it ... therefore it is the country’s consciousness and we must adhere to it,” Bhagwat said. He read out the Preamble and referred to “socialist and secular” added to the Constitution through the 42nd amendment in 1976. “The two words were added later but we have to accept them too,” he said.

In a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi’s comparison of RSS with ‘Muslim Brotherhood’, he said, “The Sangh talks of global brotherhood, which envisages unity in diversity. This is the tradition of Hindutva. That’s why we call it a Hindu Rashtra.”

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