RSS doesn’t control affiliates, they’re free to take decisions, says Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said the Sangh didn’t control its affiliates either directly or remotely and all RSS-linked outfits were free to take their decisions.

Speaking at a time of talks around disagreements between the RSS and its political wing BJP over the selection of the next party president, Bhagwat said the Sangh didn’t pressurise its affiliates to do what it wants or act in a certain way.

“We don’t control them (RSS affiliates) directly or remotely. The bond of our volunteers with the RSS is unbreakable. We meet, talk and help them if they seek help but we don’t pressurise them to do what we say. They hear us and do what they deem fit because they have to run the organisation and they have the expertise. After a while, our affiliates become self-reliant,” said Bhagwat effectively indicating that the BJP was free to choose its next president.

The RSS chief also said Sangh organisations were independent in their decisions and actions as they “have to take everyone along and are not formed of RSS cadres alone.”

Bhagwat, however, did mention that the Sangh remained concerned with the essential character of its volunteers, not so much with its affiliated organisations.

“While the discredit of Sangh organisations is of the RSS, the credit is theirs...Maal toh yaheen se gaya hai,” he said.

Addressing influencers ahead of the RSS turning 100 this October, Bhagwat also batted for unity, giving a strong message of harmony and inclusion to the minorities.

He declared “organisation of Hindu society” as the ultimate goal of the Sangh and said Hindu dharma stood for harmony, not conflict.

“For 40,000 years, the DNA of the people of Bharat — living in Akhand Bharat — has been the same... some people are proud of being Hindus, some know they are Hindus but hesitate to admit and some do not know they are Hindus. So the task of the RSS is to organise the Hindu society, ensure the welfare of those who are awakened to their roots. The ones with doubts will automatically awaken,” he said, adding that only an “organised society is a healthy society”.

Noting that time has come for India to play its role of a Vishwa-Guru, the RSS chief strongly advocated cohesion and said, “The worldview of those residing in Bharat is of living in coordination, so why fight....A Hindu is one who believes that every path which leads to God is good, no path is wrong. But we must respect other people’s faiths,” he said, cautioning against forced conversions.

He added that Hindus don’t believe that uniformity is needed for unity. “There is unity in diversity. The word Hindu is not a jargon, understand its content, it’s not geographical, our DNA is the same,” said the Sangh chief recalling the roots of the RSS and challenging the Congress-led Opposition’s claims that the Sangh did not participate in the freedom struggle by saying that RSS founder KB Hedgewar served a one-year prison sentence for sedition while leading an Indian National Congress campaign.

The RSS event was attended by NDA leaders Shrikant Shinde, Anupriya Patel, KC Tyagi and Upendra Kushwaha. Baba Ramdev and Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut were also present. Envoys from 25 embassies, including those of the US, the UK, China, Russia, Israel and Italy, were in attendance.