RSS never believed in democracy, but in dictatorship: Owaisi on Bhagwat’s NY remarks (IANS Exclusive)

Hyderabad, Aug 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) AIMIM National President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday strongly criticised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remarks on Hindu-Muslim unity, questioning the organisation's ideological position and alleging that the RSS does not believe in democracy but instead advocates a form of dictatorship.

Owaisi's remarks came after Bhagwat, speaking at the 'One World, One Humanity' faith leaders' conference in New York, said that a Hindu who believes Muslims should have no place in India ceases to be a Hindu, asserting that Hindutva recognises the dignity of every human being and accepts different paths to the same truth.

Reacting to Bhagwat's statement, the AIMIM chief questioned who exactly was being referred to when it was said that Muslims should not live in India and asked the RSS chief to identify such people.

"Let them clarify this: who are the people saying that Muslims should not live in India? Whoever makes such nonsense statements either has links with the RSS or is inspired by RSS ideology. So, let them identify those people," Owaisi said in an exclusive interview with IANS.

He further alleged that Bhagwat's remarks were part of an established strategy of the RSS, with one version of its ideology being presented internally and another being projected before the wider world.

“The second point is that this is an old RSS tactic. One narrative is crafted for its supporters, often articulated by the Sarsanghchalak or other ideological figures in books, while a different version is projected to the broader public,” he said.

The AIMIM MP also claimed that international pressure was behind such statements and alleged that the US State Department's religious freedom office was putting pressure on the RSS. "Third, the United States' religious freedom office of the State Department is putting pressure on them. So, they are making such statements for optics. But the reality is different," Owaisi said.

He then referred to writings on RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar and claimed that the organisation had historically opposed Hindu-Muslim unity.

"The reality is that, according to H.V. Seshadri, Hedgewar left the Indian National Congress because people of different religions were coming together to fight against the British, and Hedgewar was against Hindu-Muslim unity. That is one indication," he said.

Owaisi went on to question the RSS's commitment to democratic values and pluralism, alleging that the organisation had historically advocated a system centred around one leader and one ideology.

"The second issue is that the RSS has never believed in democracy; instead, it advocates a dictatorship. Where was this stated? In a book published in Nagpur, which said that the RSS believes in one flag, one leader, and one ideology. What does that signify? In such a framework, where is the space for pluralism and diversity?" he asked.

"The third point is that, whether it is Savarkar, Golwalkar, Hedgewar, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya or Rajju Bhaiya, let the RSS put their entire statements before the world and let the world decide. This is nothing but a deception," Owaisi said.

Questioning Bhagwat's reference to fraternity, Owaisi also raised issues concerning Muslim representation in the BJP. "How can he (Mohan Bhagwat) talk about fraternity? The BJP is completely a wing of the RSS, and they do not give tickets to Muslims. And then, the UCC laws that are being introduced, the mob lynchings that are taking place, and the calls for the genocide of Muslims and Christians in the name of religious assemblies; where is the fraternity in all this?" he said.

"You are using bulldozers and demolishing people's homes. So, all of this is wrong and deceptive," Owaisi added.

Shifting focus to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the AIMIM chief said it was too early to make predictions about the party's prospects.

"It is still too early to give any numbers. The preparations are currently underway, and, after September 20, we will go to Uttar Pradesh again. We will hold meetings and public gatherings, and we are making every effort," Owaisi said.

Source: IANS