Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said in October 2019 that India was conceptually a Hindu nation.
“If you ask them about their forefathers, then they will say they were Hindus. If you ask them about Qawali being prohibited in Islam, they will say it is allowed between Myanmar and Afghanistan. There is no ritual of worshipping of mausoleum in Islam; they will say it is prevalent in India. A former Rajya Sabha MP once told me they might have become Muslim over the years due to some reason, but they have not been able to forsake the practice of singing Bhajans in the form of Qawalis and idol worshipping in the form of mausoleum,” said Bhagwat, stressing that being a Hindu does not mean religion.
“We are a Hindu Rashtra, but at the same time let me clarify Hinduism is not some form of worship or some language. Hinduism is the name of a cultural legacy which is the legacy of all people living in India. When the Jews were being chased away and looking for refuge, India was the only country that gave them shelter. The religion of Parsis is safe only in India. The happiest Muslims in the world would be found in India,” he said.
“Hindustan is a Hindu nation…Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself,” he said in August 2014.
“For the next 5 years, we have to work with the aim of bringing equality among all the Hindus in the country. All Hindus should be drinking water at one place, should be praying at one place and after their death, their bodies should be burnt at the same place,” he said.
On 18th January 2020, RSS Chief said “all Indians are Hindus” as their ancestors were all Hindus.
Date: 18th January 2020