Sai Baba never claimed he is God; everybody free to choose whom to worship: RSS

Ranchi: RSS on Sunday said the Sai Baba of Shirdi never claimed he was God and that "no issue" should be made over whether he should be worshipped.

"Even Sai Baba never said he was a God. Sai Baba served the society. This should not be made an issue," RSS general secretary Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi said.

RSS spokesman Manmohan Vaidya said in Hindu society every individual has the right to decide whom to worship.

"Every individual in Hindu society has freedom to decide and worship God. There are many swayamsevaks in RSS who are Sai devotees," he said.

'Puja' is offered to even trees and mountains, he said.

The RSS leaders were responding to the statement made by Dwarkapeeth seer Sankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati made some time ago that Sai Baba of Shirdi should not be worshipped as God.