New Delhi, December 06: Categorically stating that the RSS shall continue its struggle in favour of a Ram temple in place of Babri Masjid, its chief Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat on Saturday said that “neither the RSS nor I regret what happened to Babri Masjid. Those who demolished it, may do so”.
Participating in a ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by the Chandigarh Press Club, Bhagwat added, “The struggle is continuing and we shall support it in all possible manner.”
Bhagwat said the pulling down of the structure was not any conspiracy, but a spontaneous reaction from the Kar Sevaks “whose sentiments and emotions had been hurt”.
Lambasting the Liberhan Commission report, Bhagwat said, “The report is a mere waste of money, time and is full of factual errors. Whatever is there in the report, it has already been said in 1993; then what was the purpose of setting up such a Commission and spending so much money on it? Hindus protested and demolished Babri Masjid. It was an emotional outburst, but certainly there was no conspiracy.”
Bhagwat refrained from commenting on the BJP leadership and said, “The BJP is capable of dealing with its affairs. The RSS doesn’t have any idea who would be BJP’s next president. Whenever BJP leaders come to us for any help or support or advice, we give it. For that matter, we are open for advice to all.”
“The RSS does not have any self-interest and neither do we expect anyone to praise us for what we are doing. Our only aim is the country should move forward unitedly,” he said. “All those who are involved in this (uniting the nation), we call them Hindus. You may call them Indians, we have no problem. We are all sons of Bharat Mata and we have to live in one house (this country) without fighting with each other,” he said.
“Anybody who comes to us for becoming an RSS member, he/ she has to follow certain principles and we name the volunteer as Hindu. Muslims, Christians etc. people from all religions are our members, till they follow the principles and policies of the RSS. If a person of Hindu religion too fails to follow those principles and policies, he ceases to be an RSS member,” he added.
Bhagwat also spoke on the tension between India and China. “I don’t say that China will mess with India, but we can’t even say that China will not do so. Thus, India should keep itself ready for any exigency and then strategically hold talks with Chinese,” he said.
Asked if the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was diluting the Indian identity, Bhagwat said, “The whole of India is for all Indians. They are free to live and earn their livelihood anywhere. As long as nobody harms the national security, we all are a family.”
–Agencies