Bhagwat calls for inclusive UCC
Sounding a note of caution on the Bangladesh situation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said if the Hindu population there decides to stand and fight for its rights, they will receive the support of Hindus across the world.
“There are about 1.25 crore Hindus in Bangladesh. If they decide to stay there and fight, all Hindus across the world will help them,” Bhagwat said while addressing the second day of the RSS lecture series ‘100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons’, organised to mark the organisation’s centenary. He also said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) should be framed by taking everyone into confidence and must not lead to divisions.
“It shouldn’t create divisions. In Uttarakhand, three lakh suggestions were made and after talking to all stakeholders, the act was passed,” the RSS chief said.Several prominent personalities were present at the event, including actors Raveena Tandon, Vicky Kaushal, Ananya Panday, filmmakers Karan Johar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ramesh Taurani and musician Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar. His remarks about Bangladesh came in the backdrop of the country witnessing a surge in mob violence against minorities, especially Hindus, over the past few months, following the death of anti-India radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
On domestic issues, the RSS chief said Governments in the past had not done enough to address changing population dynamics in India. He cited birth rates and illegal immigration as major reasons behind the shift. The Government earlier did not do enough on population changes. Birth rate and illegal immigration are reasons. Now that the Government has started acting, it will be successful,” Bhagwat said.
“The Government has a lot to do regarding infiltration. They have to detect and deport. This wasn’t happening until now, but it has started slowly and will gradually increase. When the census or the SIR is conducted, many people come to light who are not citizens of this country; they are automatically excluded from the process,” he said. He also asserted that India can no longer be weakened. “India cannot be broken now. Those who try to break India will be broken,” he added.
Asked whether “achche din” (good days) for the RSS came after the BJP came to power, Bhagwat said it was the “other way round”, noting the Sangh had remained committed to the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and those who supported it benefitted. “Achche din” for the RSS came because of the hard work of the volunteers and commitment to Referring to work in Muslim-dominated areas, Bhagwat said the Sangh avoids confrontation. The remarks on Sunday followed Bhagwat’s address on Saturday, the first day of the lecture series, where he said the RSS is not “against anyone” and does not seek power or function as a pressure group.
