NEW DELHI: “Bharat” is a “Hindu rashtra” and has always been so, said RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale today.
Addressing a press conference at Samalkha in Panipat on the conclusion of a three-day meet of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of the organisation, Hosabale countered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent speeches targeting the RSS, saying that he should speak responsibly and see the reality of the Sangh’s acceptance in society.
Explaining the concept of “Hindu rashtra” as perceived by the RSS, Hosabale said the nation and the state were two different aspects. While a nation was a “cultural concept”, the state was one that was established by the Constitution.
On Sangh’s outreach to Muslims, Hosabale said, “There are people who trust the RSS, some don’t. So those who trust us are acceptable to us. We meet them. There is no harm in meeting and having tea together. We consider the whole world a family. We have no differences with any faith. All must work in the interests of the nation.”