Ram Mandir-type movement not needed for everything: RSS

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, March 17

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ruling BJP’s ideological mentor, on Sunday said public agitations of the kind launched for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya were not required for everything and were not necessary.

Says Need to revisit Concept of minorities

• Re-elected Sangh general secretary, Dattatreya Hosabale has called for a rethink on the concept of minorities. He said it creates divisions in society
• Terming electoral bonds an experiment, Hosabale said only time would tell if these were beneficial and effective
• He also said the Sangh would work towards ensuring 100 per cent voting in the LS polls

The reference was to the ongoing Gyanvapi mosque and Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute in Varanasi and Shahi Idgah mosque and Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute in Mathura. The RSS also advocated a rethink of the concept of minorities as enshrined in the Indian Constitution noting that such a reference to a segment of the population led to social divisions.

Speaking after his re-election as the RSS general secretary for another term of three years, Dattatreya Hosabale also said electoral bonds were an experiment and only time would tell if these had been beneficial. In politically important remarks after the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which an RSS resolution today hailed as a golden page in Indian history, Hosabale said what was done for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement should not be done for everything.

“It is not necessary. The matter (reference to Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah mosque issues) is in court. If the matter is resolved by the court there is no need for any agitation…Hindu society will do whatever has to be done regarding Kashi and Mathura under the guidance of the religious-social leadership,” he said on the second day of the meeting of RSS’ All India Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Sangh.

Hosabale also said description of a particular community as minority leads to divisions in the society. “A rethink is required on the concept of minorities as stated in the Constitution. Who does this nation belong to? It belongs to everyone. But a trend of calling some communities minorities has been going on for many decades. Sangh is opposed to minority-sm politics,” he said.

The RSS meeting today reelected Shivamogga born Hosabale as Sar Karyavah (general secretary) of RSS for another three years. Hosabale had replaced Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi who had remained general secretary RSS for four terms till 2021.

The reelection for Sar Karyavah, the second in command after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, is held every three years. After his re-election, Hosabale also said the Sangh was yet to discuss the electoral bond matter. “Electoral bonds have been done with checks and balances. It is not as though electoral bonds have suddenly been introduced today. These were brought earlier also. Whenever a change is introduced, questions are raised. Questions were also raised when EVMs were introduced…Questions are natural. But the time will tell how beneficial and effective the new system is,” he said.