Underlining the RSS’ “inclusive” character, its chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday slogans such as ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ were mere political phrases and not part of the Sangh’s language.
The top brass of the BJP, which considers the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh its ideological mentor, has often spoken about a ‘Congress-free India’.
“These are political slogans. It is not the language of RSS. The word ‘mukt’ (free) is used in politics. We never use the language of excluding anyone. We have to include everyone in the process of nation building, including those who oppose us,” Bhagwat said at a book launch function in Pune.
Bhagwat was in the city to launch six books written by Dnyaneshwar Mulay, a 1983-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, who is currently secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Stressing the need for a “positive approach” to bring about change, the RSS chief said those with a negative approach would think only of conflicts and divisions. “Such a person is not at all useful in the process of nation-building,” he said.
The Sangh chief also said one of the ways of looking at Hindutva is having faith in oneself, one’s family and the country. “If one has faith in himself, his family and the country, he can work towards an inclusive nation-building process,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The Sangh chief also said one of the ways of looking at Hindutva is having faith in oneself, one’s family and the country. “If one has faith in himself, his family and the country, he can work towards an inclusive nation-building process,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Praising Mulay for his efforts to reach out to the common man through his work, Bhagwat said the country needed officers like him who were connected with their motherland.