PUNE: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat lashed out Thursday against what he said was an “unacceptable” trend of wannabe Hindu leaders raking up “Ram temple-like” disputes at various sites.
“India should set an example of how different faiths and ideologies can live together in harmony,” Bhagwat said against the backdrop of new controversies surrounding the origins of places of worship, including Shahi Jama Masjid in UP’s Sambhal and Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan. The RSS chief was speaking in Pune as part of a lecture series on the theme “Vishwaguru Bharat”.
No majority or minority in India: Bhagwat
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who was speaking in Pune as part of a lecture series on the theme “Vishwaguru Bharat”, said Indians should learn from past mistakes and strive to make their country a role model for the world, showing how inclusivity could be practised by avoiding contentious issues. “The Ram temple was a matter of faith, and Hindus felt that it should be built… Raising issues about some new sites out of hate and enmity is unacceptable.”
He said the solution to reducing friction in society was to hark back to ancient culture. “Extremism, aggressiveness, forcefulness, and insulting others’ gods is not our culture,” he declared. “There is no majority or minority here; we all are one. Everyone should be able to practise their way of worshipping in this country,” Bhagwat said.