‘How can this be allowed?’ RSS chief slams resurgence of temple-mosque disputes in India

The chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), widely regarded as the parent organisation of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has slammed the recent surge in temple-mosque disputes in the country in a rare rebuke to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While expressing his concerns, Mohan Bhagwat said that following the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, some individuals were trying to rake up such sensitive issues believing it could help them become “leaders of Hindus”.

“We have been living in harmony for a long time. If we want to provide this harmony to the world, we need to create a model of it. After the construction of the Ram Mandir, some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by raking up similar issues in new places. This is not acceptable,” said the RSS chief at an event in the Pune city of the Western Indian state of Maharashtra.

Bhagwat also hailed India’s pluralistic society, referring to forthcoming Christmas celebrations in Ramakrishna Mission, saying, “only we can do this because we are Hindus”.

The RSS chief said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was built because it was a matter of high significance for all Hindus. He added that new disputes between the Hindu and Muslim communities shouldn’t be allowed to dominate the discourse in society. “Every day a new matter (dispute) is being raked up. How can this be allowed? This cannot continue. India needs to show that we can live together,” he added, without naming any ongoing dispute.

Bhagwat’s words of caution come weeks after Sambhal city was rocked by communal riots in November over the survey of a mosque. Five people died in the violence, leading to multiple arrests and police cases. Not just that, courts have witnessed surge in pleas and petitions asking for surveys of mosques, claiming they were built after destroying temples.

“But now the country runs as per the Constitution. In this setup, people choose their representatives, who run the government. The days of hegemony are gone,” the RSS chief asserted.

(With inputs from agencies)