Muslims welcome Mohan Bhagwat’s statement

Say it in India!

1. All India Muslim Personal Law Board executive member Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali said it sent a positive message but stressed the need for implementation on the ground.
2. CPI General Secretary D. Raja said that if Bhagwat was “honest and truthful,” he should repeat the statement in India.

metro india news  I hyderabad

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks at a multi-faith event in New York on Saturday, asserting that a Hindu who believes Muslims have no place in Bharat “will not remain Hindu,” have drawn a sharp mix of praise, skepticism, and criticism across India and the United States. Speaking at the “One World, One Humanity” faith leaders’ conference organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum, Bhagwat addressed questions about the RSS vision of Hindu Rashtra. Recalling a 2018 dialogue with Muslim participants in Delhi, he said they had asked whether the concept meant Muslims would be driven out. “I said, no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu,” Bhagwat stated. “If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity.

There is no difference between human beings.” He emphasised India’s traditional outlook of “unity of humanity,” noting that “religions might be different, but humanity is one. Truth is one… but it is described in many ways.” Bhagwat highlighted that Bharat had historically given shelter to people of all denominations and said the RSS runs approximately 1.3 lakh service projects without discrimination. He cited the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision involving aircraft from Muslim-majority countries, in which swayamsevaks helped recover bodies and assist families without regard to religion. The comments formed part of Bhagwat’s three-nation outreach tour (US, Canada, and UK) during the RSS’s centenary year.

Later, at the “Universal Oneness Celebration” at Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theatre, attended by more than 6,000 Indian-Americans from 39 states and over 250 organisations, he reiterated that unity in diversity is in Bharat’s DNA and must be “celebrated, respected and accepted.” He urged the diaspora to remain loyal to their “karmabhumi” (place of work) in the United States while upholding Bharatiya values.

In India, reactions split along familiar lines. Several Muslim leaders welcomed the message. Former Babri Masjid litigant Iqbal Ansari described India as a land of brotherhood and said the remarks set an example of leadership that fosters unity and development. Shia cleric Maulana Yasub Abbas (or Yasoob Abbas) called the statement “commendable,” describing Hindus and Muslims as “the two eyes of the nation.”

All India Muslim Personal Law Board executive member Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali said it sent a positive message but stressed the need for implementation on the ground. Opposition parties expressed skepticism about the venue and timing. Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge accused Bhagwat of a “transformation in language when the audience changes,” questioning the contrast with the RSS’s longstanding advocacy of Hindu Rashtra in India and alleging the tour aimed to mobilise diaspora funds. CPI General Secretary D. Raja said that if Bhagwat was “honest and truthful,” he should repeat the statement in India.

 Congress leader Rashid Alvi asked why such remarks were necessary in America if no Hindu-Muslim problem existed at home. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called making the statement abroad rather than in India “dhong” (hypocrisy). TMC MP Saugata Roy called unity positive but questioned whether Bhagwat truly believed it. DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan invoked constitutional guarantees under Article 25 and criticised the RSS and BJP for allegedly disregarding them.

BJP leaders defended the remarks. National Spokesperson R.P. Singh said Hinduism is inherently inclusive and cannot be confined to one sect or mode of worship, citing “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.” Supporters noted that Bhagwat had articulated similar positions since at least 2018, when he stated a Hindu Rashtra could not exist without Muslims.

In the United States, the visit itself had already generated significant controversy before the speech. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and to revoke Bhagwat’s visa, alleging that RSS subgroups have been involved in attacks on religious minorities including Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and Sikhs.

The recommendation is non-binding; India’s External Affairs Ministry dismissed USCIRF as biased. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Indian-American and Muslim mayor, stated he did not support the event, describing the RSS vision as “exclusionary” and at odds with the pluralistic, secular India he grew up knowing, though he acknowledged the city likely lacked jurisdiction to cancel a private gathering. More than 60 US-based organisations—including Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, and interfaith groups—issued joint statements denouncing the visit and staged protests outside the venues.

Critics argued the inclusive rhetoric contrasted with what they described as the RSS’s domestic record and earlier messaging. Supporters within the diaspora, however, filled Madison Square Garden and applauded the emphasis on service, pluralism, and shared humanity. Bhagwat’s remarks reiterate a position he has maintained for years, framing Hindutva as compatible with religious diversity under a civilisational idea of oneness.

Still, the delivery on a global stage during a high-profile outreach tour has amplified both appreciation for the inclusive language and doubts about its consistency with the organisation’s broader activities and domestic discourse. As the RSS continues its centenary engagements, the New York statements are likely to remain a focal point in debates over identity, coexistence, and the organisation’s international image.