"Everyone should realise that Communists, Congress gave wrong notion of our history": Telangana BJP chief backs Mohan Bhagwat's remarks

Speaking to ANI, N Ramchander Rao underlined the geographical aspects of identifying someone as Hindu, emphasising a civilisational identity rather than a religious one.

He also criticised Congress and Communists for spreading a "wrong notion" of India's history following the British and Mughal invasions of India.

"RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that Hindu doesn't denote any religion; it's a way of life... Everyone living in this land is a Hindu because it has a geopolitical context. As he rightly said, even Bharat is a name that shows it was a great civilisation, and Bharatvarsha is devoted to the entire geographical area," he said.

"Unfortunately, the invaders who came to this land divided it, and we became a smaller geographical unit... Mughals and the Britishers who destroyed our vast and ancient culture. What Mohan Bhagwat has said is right, and everyone should at least realise now that the Communists and the Congress were giving us a very wrong notion of our history," he added.

On Saturday, Mohan Bhagwat urged a deeper exploration of what "Hindu Rashtra" (Hindu Nation) means, framing it not just as a political label but as a call for citizens to work with "selfless purpose" and "excellence" in their respective fields.

When forming an opinion about the RSS, base it on what you see and the original sources. Avoid relying on Wikipedia or perceptions, as they contain misleading information. You won't understand the RSS through propaganda... Observe the Sangh directly: examine its workers, their homes, its branches, and its programs. This will give you a clear understanding of what RSS is... What does it mean that India is a Hindu nation? What does it mean that we are Hindus? Understand all of this and then do whatever you are doing with excellence, with authenticity, with selfless purpose, and with all your heart and soul for the benefit of the country...," he said during a gathering in Mumbai

Bhagwat argued that the cultural identity of "Hindu" is not a religious label, but a civilizational one that encompasses all inhabitants of India, regardless of their personal faith or lifestyle.

Bhagwat asserted that "Hindu" is an adjective, not a noun. He argues that whether one uses the word "Indian" or "Hindu," the meaning is essentially the same in the context of the nation's ancient culture.

"There are constant squabbles among people (of different religions)... But the country has never broken apart, except for that one time when the Hindu spirit was forgotten... Our worship, our language, everything will be safe; on the contrary, Hindutva itself guarantees their safety, because that's the very nature of that ideology... We need to accept that whether we belong to a particular province, worship particular deities, have certain food habits and customs, or are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, we are one as a society, as a nation, as a culture. We call that Hindu. Whether you say it or not, the word you use will be synonymous. Whether you say Indian or Hindu, it's the same thing," he said.

He argued that the phrase "Hindu-Muslim unity" is fundamentally flawed. In his view, "unity" implies bringing together two separate things, whereas he argues that the various communities in India are already one entity that has simply "forgotten" its common roots and called for peaceful dialogue to resolve "squabbles," stating that disrespecting another's faith is "not the nature of a Hindu" and that this behavior must be consciously unlearned.

"We never disrespect anyone's faith. That is not the nature of a Hindu. But this will have to be learned... There will have to be dialogue. We will have to sit down and talk peacefully. ... The words 'Hindu-Muslim unity' are wrong. You unite those who are two separate entities. How can you talk about unity when they are already one? We have forgotten that unity; we need to remember it again, not create it," he added. (ANI)