It will cease to be Hindutva if it is said there is no place here for Muslims: RSS chief

New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that it will no longer be Hindutva if it is said there is no place here for Muslims. He added that a 'Hindu Rashtra' does not mean it has no place for Muslims as this concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions.

"The Sangh works towards universal brotherhood and the cardinal principle of this brotherhood is unity in diversity. This thought comes from our culture, which the world calls Hindutva. That's why we call it a Hindu Rashtra," he said.

The RSS chief asserted that the philosophy of the Sangh is to take everyone along. "Hindu Rashtra doesn't mean there's no place for Muslims. The day it is said so, it won't be Hindutva any more. Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," he said.

Bhagwat's statement comes while he addressed people on the second day of his three-day lecture series.

Hindutva is the essence of Indian cultural values and is aimed at fostering brotherhood among people of different faiths and views, the RSS chief said.

Bhagwat said Hindutva is synonymous with the concept of Bhartiya, which is used to define all Indians and is reflective of unity in diversity.

The Sangh also believes in the same universal brotherhood and it is based on the idea of unity in diversity. This idea comes from an ideology which world describes as of Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said, drawing a parallel between the RSS's ideology and Ambedkar's suggestion.

Describing Hindu Rashtra, the saffron organisation's head said the concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions as it is based on Hindutva.

The Sangh believes in Sarvepi Sukhinah Santu, which goes beyond the concept of 'maximum good of maximum people', he said, adding that no single language or God bind us together. 

Bhagwat spoke at length about Hindus and Hindutva.

Citing the example of a Muslim player who was facilitated by Hindus in 1881, Bhagwat said even believers of Islam had said that there methodology of worship might be different, but they were sons of 'Bharat Mata' only.

The three-day conclave 'Bhavishya Ka Bharat - An RSS Perspective' has been organised in the national capital and is venued at Vigyan Bhavan.

The aim of the three-day conclave is to engage with a cross section of people and present its perspective on future of the country. Bhagwat said that the event was being organised so that people could understand the organisation.

The second day of the conclave saw the attendance of representatives of the foreign missions of the US, Singapore, Germany, Japan and Serbia among others. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Giriraj Singh and Vijay Sampla, KC Tyagi of the JD(U), retired judges and former army commanders also graced the event.

(With inputs from PTI)