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Being ‘Hindu’ and ‘Bharatiya’ means the same: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Being “Hindu” and “Bharatiya” (Indian) means the same, he said at the launch of a special edition of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s mouthpieces Organiser and Panchajanya.

Updated on: Dec 1, 2016, 23:39:43 IST
Hindustan Times | By , New Delhi
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Anyone who traces their ancestry to India, irrespective of their language or religion, is a Hindu, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat participating in the closing ceremony of a RSS programme at Bhilwara, Rajasthan on November 28. (PTI)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat participating in the closing ceremony of a RSS programme at Bhilwara, Rajasthan on November 28. (PTI)

Being “Hindu” and “Bharatiya” (Indian) means the same, he said at the launch of a special edition of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s mouthpieces Organiser and Panchajanya. Bhagwat said no matter what their ideology or faith, nationalism still tugs at people’s heartstrings.

He said people often make the mistake of using Hindu and Hindutva interchangeably.

He gave the example of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Natarajan Annadurai who was against the imposition of Hindi in southern states but made a public speech underlining the unity in diversity.

“He said that an attack on the Himalayas is an attack on Tamil Nadu,” Bhagwat said.

He also sought to refute the allegation that the Sangh did not participate in the freedom struggle, saying they did not have time to publicise their work.

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