‘One person, one ideology cannot make or break a country’, but…: Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief said “good countries” have multitude of thoughts and that they grow with having all kinds of systems put in place.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said the idea of one person, one thought or one group cannot make or break a country. He said “good countries” have multitude of thoughts and that they grow with having all kinds of systems put in place.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat during a public meeting in Ahmedabad. (PTI file)

“One person, one thought, one group, one ideology can not make or break a country…good countries of the world have all kinds of thoughts. They also have all kinds of systems, and they are growing with this multitude of systems,” Bhagwat said at an award function organised by the Rajrantna Puraskar Samiti.

The RSS chief's statement opposes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government's plane for ‘one nation, one election’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pitching for the plan and calling it a “need of the country”. He believes elections are being conducted every month at different levels that put an impact on developmental work. Last year during an interaction with BJP worker from across the country, PM Modi reiterated his stance on the plan and explained how one nation and one voters' list would save time and money.

Earlier, the Law Commission sought views of various stakeholders on holding simultaneous elections, appointment of Prime Minister, chief ministers as the Lok Sabha Speaker is selected.

Opposition parties criticised the move and pointed out that “BJP only knows only one word that is one”. "After having said one religion, one language, one food, one culture, one tax, one exam, and one fertilizer, they keep humming one song. Cheating and diversionary tactics are the only remedies they have for all diseases,” DMK said earlier.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also said the plan will only fulfill BJP's “dreams” of running its “Operation Lotus” drive.