Did RSS Chief Articulate PM Modi’s Concerns About Aggressive Hindutva Cramping India Growth Story?

When RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently expressed concern over the resurgence of temple-mosque disputes, and advised people against raking up such issues, was he speaking on behalf of PM Modi? Most likely. With the U.S. President Donald Trump all set to take over next month, the Modi government may not want any Hindu-Muslim communal tension to disturb the country’s economic trajectory of reaching $ 5 trillion. It is in this background what Bhagwat said at a function of Pune NGO assumes significance. He said no one will become a “leader of Hindus” by fanning communal divide. His statement surprised many Hindu leaders and came after Hindu right-wing groups moved various courts across the country seeking demolition of decades-old mosques claiming that those were built on temple sites. These mosques include the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, where riots had left five dead, and the Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan. “Extremism, aggressiveness, forcefulness, and insulting other gods are not in the nature of our country and this is unacceptable,” he said, adding that to become ‘Vishwa Guru’, India should not forget its nature that it is “accommodative” to all. The RSS chief said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was built to respect the sentiments of Hindus but to use it to become a “Hindu neta (leader)” was unacceptable. This is not the first time Bhagwat has cautioned Hindus about going overboard. In the past, he had talked of not looking for ‘Shivlings’ under mosques. This was his remark after the Ram Temple judgment came. It was a clear message of unity. Bhagwat’s words were welcomed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.