Will take on MNS: Bhagwat

A day after Sachin Tendulkar snubbed the MNS saying Mumbai belonged to all Indians, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has warned Raj Thackeray’s party against divisive politics, reports HT Correspondent.

A day after Sachin Tendulkar snubbed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) saying Mumbai belonged to all Indians, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has warned Raj Thackeray’s party against divisive politics.

HT Image

The RSS will not be a mute spectator if the hate campaign continues, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said while interacting with journalists in Pune on Saturday.

Bhagwat, however, refused to divulge how the RSS planned to deal with the MNS.

When asked about the MNS’ violent agitation, Bhagwat said the issue of local language and its rights was seen in all states and needed to be dealt with carefully. However, the feeling of nationality or national interests should not be damaged at any cost, Bhagwat said.

RSS leaders in Maharashtra have already opposed the MNS’ campaign, Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat, a Maharashtrian from Nagpur, had also met Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray in Mumbai a few weeks ago.

The RSS, which stands for Hindutva ideology, believes in a strong central government that should be less dependent on states that were formed on a linguistic basis after India got independence in 1947.