RSS Regards 130 Cr People of India as Hindu Society: Mohan Bhagwat

“Whether he may speak any language, from any region, follow any form of worship, he is a Hindu,” Bhagwat said.

Image of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Liju Joseph / The Quint)

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said the Sangh regards the 130 crore population of India as Hindu society, irrespective of their religion and culture.

Irrespective of religion and culture, people who have the nationalistic spirit and respect the culture of the country and its heritage are Hindus, and RSS considers the 130 crore people of the country as Hindus, he said.

"Entire society is ours and the Sangh aims to build such a united society," he said.

When Sangh says Hindu, it includes those who believe India is their motherland, love India, its people, water, land, animals and forests and reflects in their lives, the country’s great traditions and culture, in which the whole creation is looked at with friendliness and their welfare is cared for, he said.

“The son of mother India, whether he may speak any language, from any region, follow any form of worship or not believing in worship of any, is a Hindu....In this regard, for Sangh all the 130 crore people of India is Hindu society,” he said.

Bhagwat said RSS accepts one and all, thinks good of them and desired to take them to a higher level for betterment.

He was speaking at a public meeting organised as part of the three-day Vijaya Sankalpa Sibiram of RSS members from Telangana.

"There is a famous saying that there is unity in diversity. But our country goes one step ahead. Not just unity in diversity, (it is) diversity of unity.

We are not searching for unity in diversity. We are searching the unity from which the diversity came and there are different ways to achieve unity,” he said.

Bhagwat said the country is Hindutvavadi by tradition.

He said eminent freedom fighter Rabindranath Tagore, in his 'Swadeshi Samaj', wrote that despite some inherent contradictions between Hindus and Muslims, Hindu society was capable of finding solutions in a Hindu way to unite the nation

The public meeting was attended by a large number of people, including swayamsevaks from Telangana.